Chapter 110

“Wang Lang, are you really leaving?” Yin Linglong stood beside Wang Yu on the black iron vessel, gazing down at the bustling Yin family members hauling away treasures, a trace of reluctance softening her jade-like face.

Over the past four years, Yin Linglong’s beauty had grown even more celestial; her figure stood tall and graceful, like a lotus in full bloom—admirable from afar, yet untouchable.

“We have no choice. Right now, our sect’s cultivators are holding back the demonic sects. Once our Ancestor and Senior Uncles retreat to Jingzhou, the entire Tongzhou region will instantly become a battlefield for the four sects. How could a mere Yin family survive in such a gap?”

Among the crowd below, a dozen or so mechanical flying vessels of varying sizes rested—some as long as three or four zhang, others barely one zhang—many women and children with spiritual roots had already boarded them.

“But our Yin family has nearly two hundred cultivators, and these vessels can barely hold half. Plus, there are thousands of ordinary clan members and irreplaceable treasures we can’t abandon,” Yin Linglong bit her pearl-like teeth, still hesitating.

“There’s no other option. The others and ordinary clan members must travel by land, riding mechanical horse-drawn carriages day and night. It may be dangerous, but it’s better than being captured by demonic sect disciples.”

“Fortunately, it’s only a dozen days’ journey from here to Jingzhou. Once the clan members on the flying vessels arrive, we’ll send the vessels back to pick up the rest on the road.” Wang Yu replied calmly, as if he’d already weighed every detail.

“There’s no other way. After all, if the skin is gone, how can the hair remain? No one expected that even a celestial sect like the Four Symbols Sect could be driven from Tongzhou. I wonder if the Yin family will even make it to Jingzhou.” Yin Linglong sighed helplessly, then gently rested her head against Wang Yu’s shoulder, her face revealing vulnerability for the first time.

“Linglong, don’t worry too much. This evacuation isn’t just the Yin family—it’s every family under the Four Symbols Sect, even countless cultivators without sects fleeing to Jingzhou. We won’t be so unlucky as to be intercepted by the demonic sects.”

“But earlier, the Yu family sent word, asking to evacuate with us and requesting we wait half a day. Wang Lang, why did you make me refuse outright?”

“The Yu family’s Patriarch has Foundation Establishment cultivation. Traveling with them should be safer, right?” Yin Linglong leaned against him, her cheeks flushed, yet still asked.

“Linglong, this isn’t like other times. The demonic sects won’t sit idle waiting for every family to escape safely. The more families with Foundation Establishment Patriarchs, the more they’ll be targeted.”

“Besides, the Yu family wants us to waste half a day waiting for them—how could we agree? Even if we did evacuate together, should we encounter demonic cultivators, the Yin family would easily be used as cannon fodder.”

Hearing this, Yin Linglong nodded silently and said nothing more.

A moment later, an elderly Yin family member soared down from below, bowing to Yin Linglong on the iron vessel.

“Mistress, all the mechanical flying vessels are fully loaded. Shall we depart?”

“How are the mechanical horse-drawn carriages faring?” Yin Linglong, noticing someone’s arrival, blushed slightly and pulled away from Wang Yu’s shoulder, her brow suddenly sharpening with authority.

“The flying vessels are still only half-loaded, due to the sheer number of people and goods. Mistress, the sooner we leave, the safer we’ll be. You and your husband should depart first with the vessels. I’ll stay here and wait until the carriages are ready, then lead them out immediately.”

“Very well, that’s the only option. Uncle Jiu, be careful. As soon as we reach Jingzhou, we’ll send the flying vessels back for you.”

“Depart!”

This time, Yin Linglong did not refuse. After giving the elder a few final instructions, she stepped to the front of the iron vessel and waved her hand toward the fleet of vessels below, packed with clan members.

Instantly, over twenty vessels rose into the sky, the black iron vessel leading the way.

Soon, Cuiyun Mountain was left far behind, shrinking into a tiny black dot.

At the same moment, a thousand li from Cuiyun Mountain, in a lush, clear valley, a massive bone vessel hung suspended above.

Below, explosions and battle cries shook the air as a dozen Black Soul Sect disciples activated various artifacts, slaughtering the valley’s low-level cultivators and ordinary civilians.

“I’ll fight you to the death!”

A white-haired elder at the peak of Qi Condensation suddenly burst from a house in the valley, a long sword before him transforming into a blazing circle of cold light, growing larger and hurtling straight toward the bone vessel above.

“How boring. Not even one Foundation Establishment cultivator.”

A lazy male voice drifted down from the bone vessel, followed by a massive, snow-white bone hand descending from the sky, crushing the elder and his sword into fragments with a single slap.

Shattered sword fragments and mangled remains rained down from the air.

“Clan Chief!”

The remaining low-level cultivators below screamed in despair.

The other Black Soul Sect disciples paused momentarily.

“Finish it quickly. Find another place for amusement. If this isn’t over in fifteen minutes, you’ll all stay here.” The lazy voice from the bone vessel rang out again.

Hearing this, the Black Soul Sect disciples were terrified, instantly becoming frenzied, slaughtering the remaining cultivators and civilians like demons possessed.

After these cultivators and civilians died, their corpses and lingering souls were prime cultivation resources for them.

…

On another mountaintop far away.

A slender, spiky bone vessel, covered in dense bone thorns, plunged into the swarm of mechanical flying vessels like a swordfish, smashing through them one by one, sending countless low-level cultivators and ordinary civilians tumbling down like dumplings dropped into boiling water, splattering into pulp.

Behind the bone vessel, a dozen mid- to late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators unleashed their artifacts in desperate attacks, yet none could pierce the black mist swirling around the vessel’s surface.

On the bone vessel stood only one thin man in black robes, his back bearing a massive, crude bone fork.

…

Above a hilly region.

A massive bone vessel burned fiercely, its underside littered with scattered corpses of black-robed figures.

From the vessel emerged a pale-faced, delicate white-robed girl, no more than fifteen or sixteen, a small black turtle perched on her shoulder, one hand gripping a dripping, bloody head.

“What a joke, a True Disciple? Just the lowest-ranked fool, daring to snarl at me. I hope I meet one of the top three—then this trip won’t have been wasted.” The girl disdainfully tossed the head aside, then stomped the bone vessel with one hand.

“Boom!”

The seemingly indestructible bone vessel trembled violently, as if struck by a colossal force, tilting sharply downward and plummeting.

Finally, it exploded into a massive fireball upon hitting the ground.