237 - Elasia Saga

In the vast canyon passage, a gentle breeze stirred, bringing with it the overwhelming stench of corpses and blood. These two scents quickly dispersed into the air, causing anyone who inhaled even a little to feel a wave of nausea. When Fu Yan landed, she unintentionally furrowed her brow but quickly chose to temporarily shut off her sense of smell. “It's remarkable; she's a Celestial of the Mahayana stage. I wonder who she truly is. No wonder those walking corpses fell apart like a scattered sandpile!” “We're saved! We will never reconcile with those from the Corpse Ghost Sect!” Upon seeing Fu Yan, everyone snapped back to reality. Their thoughts turned swiftly, realizing it was she who had saved them, and they all looked at her with deep respect. Yuan He and Yi Tu hadn’t expended much energy and quickly regained their breath. Seeing Fu Yan approach, they naturally followed her. Meanwhile, Liu Sheng Yi, having sensed that a powerful Mahayana cultivator had come to their rescue, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. During the battle, he had not relaxed his guard even for a moment. Once all the walking corpses were disposed of, he looked up at the descending figure, and his black pupils reflected Fu Yan’s image. He was momentarily taken aback. Fu Yan seemed to notice him as well and walked directly over. The moment of surprise was brief, and Liu Sheng Yi recognized Fu Yan. After all, he vividly remembered the exceptional circumstance of gifting a silver card from the Ge Yuan commerce association to a cultivator of the Harmony stage. It left a deep impression on him. He never expected that decades later, they would meet like this. Even more astonishing was that Fu Yan had advanced to the Mahayana stage in such a short time. At the time, Liu Sheng Yi didn’t recognize Fu Yan’s potential, but now he had to admit that Elder Rong’s judgment was sharp. When Fu Yan stopped in front of him, he snapped out of his astonishment. “Fu... Fu Yan!” Liu Sheng Yi exclaimed, still shocked despite recognizing her. His tone was filled with disbelief. Fu Yan nodded and smiled slightly, saying, “Long time no see, Daoist Liu.” Hearing Fu Yan’s voice, Liu Sheng Yi quickly collected himself, clasped his hands in thanks, and said, “Thank you, Immortal Friend Fu, for your assistance. Without you, we would likely face an uncertain fate today.” Fu Yan didn’t stand on ceremony. After scanning the surroundings, she turned back to Liu Sheng Yi and asked, “What happened? Why has the Ge Yuan commerce association been targeted by the Corpse Ghost Sect?” Liu Sheng Yi sighed lightly and explained, “Immortal Friend Fu, you may not be aware, but recently, the Corpse Ghost Sect has been extremely troublesome.” He looked back at the regrouping group and continued, “Not only our caravan, but other powers have also suffered their attacks. However, after several immortals joined forces to eradicate the corpse spirit daoist last time, they don’t dare to act so brazenly anymore.” Still, they would secretly conduct their murderous and thieving activities, mainly targeting secluded areas or smaller forces. The Corpse Ghost Sect's people have always been elusive, leaving these smaller forces with little recourse. In fact, this caravan today was a private job Liu Sheng Yi took on his own, not part of the Ge Yuan commerce association. They planned to take a spirit ship but decided against it to avoid attracting attention and instead traveled on foot. Yet, they were still targeted by the Corpse Ghost Sect. Hearing this, Fu Yan realized why she had been puzzled earlier. The Ge Yuan caravan didn’t have a Mahayana expert because it wasn’t an official Ge Yuan caravan. But whether it was or wasn’t didn’t matter much; Fu Yan wouldn’t stand by with Liu Sheng Yi around. Fu Yan said, “I see. I was just passing through.” “May I ask where you are headed, Immortal Friend Fu?” Liu Sheng Yi asked casually as he arranged for the group to quickly regroup. “The Southern Domain,” Fu Yan replied without hesitation. At this, Liu Sheng Yi laughed, “That's perfect. Since the arrival of the Corpse Ghost Sect, the mainland is perhaps only left with the Southern Domain and the Central Capital as peaceful places.” Fu Yan paused, confused. “The Southern Domain?” The Central Capital, being the most prosperous center of the mainland, had the most families and sects, with more renowned immortals than could be counted. It made sense that the Corpse Ghost Sect wouldn’t dare enter. But from what Fu Yan knew, the Southern Domain only boasted Snow Spirit Sect that could rival a first-tier sect in the Central Capital, with others being third-rate sects. “That’s right.” Liu Sheng Yi, aware that the news hadn’t spread yet, said mysteriously, “I’ve heard that when a person from the Corpse Ghost Sect of celestial-like strength caused trouble in the Southern Domain, they were swiftly killed with a single stroke.” “The Southern Domain is inherently mysterious. It's said there are many ancient sects that aren’t as tranquil as they appear.” For some reason, Liu Sheng Yi's words brought Chu Ling Ling to Fu Yan’s mind. Shen Shu Palace was likely one of the hidden forces in the Southern Domain. If the Corpse Ghost Sect unknowingly offended Shen Shu Palace, Chu Ling Ling's people would certainly decimate them. Thinking this, Fu Yan remembered the token Chu Ling Ling had given her. Knowing the great connection between Chu Ling Ling and Shuanghua Palace, she thought she might ask for help. “I see.” With her thoughts back in order, Fu Yan showed no reaction aside from acknowledging Liu Sheng Yi. “By the way,” Liu Sheng Yi suddenly said, as if recalling something, “be cautious on your journey ahead. I fear the Corpse Ghost Sect might seek revenge.” Indeed, the Corpse Ghost Sect was known for vengeance and might trouble Fu Yan. Taking this in, Fu Yan nodded, “Thank you for the warning; I'll keep it in mind.” As long as the corpse spirit daoist didn’t attack personally, Fu Yan wasn’t concerned. Soon, their caravan was reorganized. Before departing, Liu Sheng Yi handed over a small pouch to Fu Yan, saying, “A token of gratitude for your aid, Immortal Friend Fu. I hope you will accept this humble offering.” Fu Yan understood this gesture likely came from the family backing the caravan rather than Liu Sheng Yi himself. Without much ado, she accepted it, “Thank you.” “If we meet again at the Ge Yuan commerce association, I will personally thank you, Immortal Friend Fu,” Liu Sheng Yi said, clasping his hands once more. The family behind the caravan hoped Fu Yan would escort them further, but Liu Sheng Yi’s reminders reassured them that they were close to their destination, where more people would come to aid, making them less concerned about the Corpse Ghost Sect. They didn’t press the matter. Before long, Liu Sheng Yi and his group passed through the canyon, heading on a separate path from Fu Yan’s trio. Watching them leave, Fu Yan summoned the spirit ship, and the three continued sailing toward the Southern Domain. ... After they had left the canyon far behind, Fu Yan finally took out the small Qiankun pouch Liu Sheng Yi had given her. Inside were some high-grade spirit stones and a few valuable elixirs—though not much, Fu Yan did not underestimate these resources. She urgently needed to gather more resources. Even a mosquito’s meat was still meat. Amidst the spirit stones and elixirs, Fu Yan discovered a bead, transparent like crystal. She paused and picked it up, examining it closely. “A Spirit Gathering Pearl?” Surprised, Fu Yan recognized the bead in her hand. The Spirit Gathering Pearl was indeed precious, able to quickly amass spiritual energy, a favorite of array masters. Though she wasn’t versed in formations and had no intention of becoming an array master, the pearl held little use for her. After casually toying with it for a moment, she tossed it back into the pouch. Simultaneously, a single black hair in her long, glossy hair moved slightly. The movement was subtle and went unnoticed by Fu Yan. Leaving the pouch on the table, Fu Yan took out a Sound Mirror and infused a bit of her spiritual energy into it. Instantly, a soft light shimmered over its surface. “Sister, can you contact Shui Liuqing and Mingxi?” With the intention to return to Shuanghua Palace, Fu Yan needed manpower and intended to call Shui Liuqing back. Whether Mingxi would join Shuanghua Palace was up to her. Moreover, she longed to see how they had grown over the years. Soon, Bai Yue Li’s voice echoed from the Sound Mirror, “I’m not able to right now.” Fu Yan wasn’t surprised, knowing Bai Yue Li had returned to the Demon Domain, which probably limited her communication with them. She just wanted to talk to her. “Sister...” As they continued their conversation through the Sound Mirror, Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li soon shifted the topic to the Corpse Ghost Sect. Fu Yan had an uneasy feeling that the emergence of the Corpse Ghost Sect was far from simple. If left unchecked, it could pose a significant threat not only to the righteous sects but also to the demon cultivators. The methods of corpse refinement they employed were particularly vile. While talking, Fu Yan didn’t notice a single strand of black hair slowly slipping from her long hair. This tiny strand, even floating in the air, seemed almost invisible. Besides, who would think twice about a single hair falling? However, within moments, that strand of hair drifted down onto the Qiankun pouch. Suddenly, it transformed into a wisp of energy and seamlessly merged with the pouch. With the Qiankun pouch as cover, the wisp of energy regained its original form, appearing very much like a thread of demonic energy. It floated directly over to the Spirit Gathering Pearl inside. Soon, the once completely transparent Spirit Gathering Pearl began to darken. ... When Fu Yan set down the Sound Mirror, her smile lingered at her lips. She was eager to try out the dual cultivation technique with Bai Yue Li! “Boom!” At that moment, the entire spirit ship was suddenly jolted by a massive tremor.