Chapter 221

"Report to the Ancestor, that man from the Demon Luo Sect vanished after entering, but a few days ago, disciples found numerous withered corpses on the eastern mountainside—clearly the work of Zhu Wuyan—but among them were many of our own sect's disciples; he killed friend and foe alike." The middle-aged man hurriedly reported, though his voice grew slightly bitter at the end.

"Heh, that little madman is Blood Smoke's backup blood-spirit avatar—he knows it well, which is why he's so reckless and insane. Killing a few useless fools doesn't matter. Find a way to contact him quickly and bring him to us."

"If he can lend substantial aid when I retrieve the treasure, I won't hesitate to plead with Blood Smoke the Old Ghost on his behalf." The towering white-bone demon chuckled indifferently.

"Yes, Ancestor. I'll send men to search for Zhu Wuyan immediately." The middle-aged man nodded hastily in agreement.

"I hope the hidden treasure of Jialan Elder doesn't disappoint this Ancestor… if I can find the opportunity for Nascent Soul formation…" The towering white-bone demon murmured, his gaze drifting toward the mountain's interior, filled with anticipation.

…

Wang Yu sprinted eighty li before his blood aura finally drained, then plunged downward into a valley below.

"Thud."

His feet landed firmly on soft soil. He turned and scanned the horizon—no one pursued him—then finally exhaled in relief.

His Blood Escape Talisman was used just in time; no ordinary flying vessel could catch up.

This Jialan Secret Realm is meant only for Qi Condensation disciples—how did a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the demonic path appear here? This is a serious problem.

I must not go near the mountain's center again. Better yet, leave this entire range behind—get as far away from that demonic Foundation Establishment cultivator as possible.

As Wang Yu thought this, he glanced toward the opposite direction—the vast lake region, which seemed a promising hiding spot.

Just as he prepared to summon his flying vessel and depart, a white light shot toward him from the direction he'd come—its speed rivaling his own Blood Escape technique.

That white orb looked familiar.

Seeing it, Wang Yu hesitated, choosing not to take flight again.

"Whoosh."

The white orb streaked toward the valley, its glow fading to reveal a pristine jade-white flying vessel, each side hovering with a pale, misty wing—utterly mysterious.

Standing atop the vessel was a yellow-robed palace lady, her face veiled in white, her eyes revealing a faint smile.

Wang Yu met her gaze and instantly felt a surge of familiarity—he blurted out, "Sister Ximen!"

"Wang younger brother, you run fast indeed. That Blood Escape Talisman must've been taken from the demonic side." The palace lady descended slowly, stepped off the vessel, and removed her veil.

The yellow-robed palace lady was none other than Ximen Mei.

Wang Yu stared at her face—and froze.

Aside from her faintly yellow hair, her features were utterly different from before.

Formerly, Ximen Mei's eyes were sharp, but her face was plain. Now, her nose was delicate, her lips small, her skin pale and smooth, with two sweet dimples—she looked barely seventeen or eighteen, radiant and youthful.

"Sister Ximen, what happened to your appearance?" Wang Yu asked, startled.

"Oh, long ago I accidentally ate a youth-preserving spirit herb—my face has remained unchanged since then. To avoid drawing attention in the sect, I've always worn another face." Ximen Mei smiled lightly, then formed a hand seal; the misty wings behind her flying vessel dissolved into two white feathers, drifting gently into her palm.

"I see. If you always looked like this, you'd indeed cause unnecessary trouble within the sect." Wang Yu nodded in understanding, yet his gaze lingered on the two white feathers in her hand.

"These are spirit-bird feathers gifted by my ancestor. I've inscribed spirit patterns onto them—they can be attached to the flying vessel to greatly increase speed. They're a special kind of second-rank talisman."

"But they can be reused until the spiritual energy within them is exhausted. After I barely escaped alive last time, my ancestor specially gave them to me."

"You've never seen such a talisman before, have you? Feel it for yourself." Ximen Mei, sensing his curiosity, smiled faintly and tossed one feather toward him.

"Thank you, Sister."

Wang Yu's heart leapt. He caught the feather and studied it closely.

The feather was about two feet long, translucent as jade, its surface etched with countless faint silver patterns—some natural, others painstakingly painted.

Second-rank talismans, like the beast-skin talisman in his hand, almost always use rare materials.

Wang Yu traced his finger along the feather—it felt incredibly soft. When he gently waved it, faint spirit-pattern afterimages shimmered into view, dazzlingly beautiful.

"Wow, Sister Ximen, this isn't a first-rank spirit-bird feather, is it?" Wang Yu murmured, then returned the feather.

"Of course not. This is the core feather of a Foundation Establishment spirit-bird—specifically, one at peak Foundation Establishment. Otherwise, even my ancestor couldn't have inscribed a second-rank talisman so easily." Ximen Mei smiled as she took the feather back, flipped her hand, and the two white feathers vanished.

"Sister, when you say 'ancestor,' do you mean our sect's Tianchan Ancestor?" Wang Yu paused, then asked.

"With your wit, you should've figured it out already."

"Correct. My ancestor is indeed Tianchan Ancestor—but the Ximen family isn't a cultivation clan. He has only this single direct bloodline, and due to certain special reasons, the Ximen line is nearly always one child per generation." Ximen Mei glanced at Wang Yu, a half-smile playing on her lips.

"After I returned to the sect, I realized your status was far from ordinary. But if you're the Ancestor's descendant—and an apprentice of formation arts—joining the Four Sects Assembly is understandable. Why risk entering the Jialan Trial?" Wang Yu sighed, unable to resist asking.

If I had a Jin Dan Ancestor as backing, Foundation Establishment would be guaranteed—I'd just hide in the sect until I reached it, never risking anything.