Chapter 1306: Secret Within the Hot Springs

Previously, Sang Hong had never asked about that subject because he really did believe that Yu Yanluo had built some secret transport formation between Cloudcenter Commandery and the Snake race territory. Such topics were rather sensitive, so he couldn't really ask about them.

However, Pei Mianman naturally didn’t have such misgivings and directly asked the question. How could she have possibly anticipated the answer?

“You met the emperor?” Pei Mianman exclaimed, stunned. Then why did the emperor still hold this impeachment to judge Zu An? Are the two of them just putting on an act?

When he saw her expression, Zu An knew she was thinking something different. He quickly explained, “What I encountered wasn’t the emperor’s real body, but rather a strand of aura he left behind…”

…

Back then, in the cave, a terrifying aura had erupted from the cavern depths. Yan Xuehen had been so scared that she quickly grabbed Zu An and ran. She had sensed that the aura was even stronger than hers when she was at her peak. Both of them were injured and wouldn’t be a match for it at all.

The terrifying legends of the Great Snowy Mountain had already left too deep of an impact on her. Furthermore, they had just encountered that earth immortal snow lady not too long before, so the two of them were already on edge.

After running for a few steps, however, Zu An stopped. Yan Xuehen was badly frightened when she saw him pause. With their speed, they could still have a chance of survival if they ran with everything they had; now that Zu An had hesitated, however, that possibility was thrown into doubt.

Of course, if Zu An stayed behind to buy her time, Yan Xuehen would have a much bigger chance of escaping. Still, even though the two of them hadn’t reached a truly intimate level yet, her nature prevented her from doing such a thing. As such, she stayed behind, exclaiming in annoyance, “What’s wrong with you?”

“Don’t worry. It might not be dangerous at all this time,” Zu An said, patting her hand in consolation. “This aura feels a bit familiar.”

Yan Xuehen instinctively pulled her hand back, but his words drew her attention. She asked, “Familiar?”

The terrifying aura was something only an earth immortal could release, and yet Zu An was familiar with it? Just who was the grandmaster here? Yan Xuehen was supposed to be knowledgeable and experienced, and yet it seemed almost as if she couldn't keep up.

Zu An didn’t reply, and simply walked into the cavern depths. Yan Xuehen bit her lips, but she still followed him in the end. The deeper in they went, the stronger the aura felt. Yan Xuehen even felt her very soul trembling. She sighed, thinking, It’s all over, it’s all over… We’re probably going to die here.

However, Zu An appeared to be completely fine as he walked deeper in.

In the end, Yan Xuehen was still a grandmaster with a steadfast will. The way things were, she wanted to see just what kind of cultivator was ahead of them. That way, at least she would understand why she died.

To her surprise, however, she didn’t see any exceptional cultivators within the cave. Rather, there was a simple and crude structure that resembled a sacrificial altar. She felt a strange premonition.

The structure wasn’t actually a sacrificial altar, but rather a formation that seemed to have been roughly assembled by a single person. However, the details were full of dao marks and natural laws. There were many complex runes carved on its surface, to the point that even she found it hard to see through the principles. For even such casual actions to represent heavenly dao, just what insane level had the structure reached?

As Zu An stopped in front of the formation, the runes around it lit up. A vague image appeared in its center.

At such a short distance, the terrifying pressure was almost enough to make Yan Xuehen bow down. However, she knew that if she really did kneel, her own dao would be affected by the figure’s. In the future, she would forever live in the other cultivator’s shadow, unable to truly forge her own path.

Even so, she was too close to the formation. Not only was she injured, she had also just done the most unforgettable thing of her life and was still worried about her gains and losses. In that condition, her mind was at its most frail! She felt like a skiff in a roaring sea, ready to capsize under a great wave at any time.

Just then, Zu An took her hand, infusing a warm stream into her body. Yan Xuehen immediately felt her mind clear up. The dark clouds were replaced with clear skies, revealing a gentle sun that provided her with its warm rays.

“I actually let him become my sun…” Yan Xuehen murmured with a blush.

What had happened just then wasn’t real; rather, it was a kind of illusion. Clearly, she felt a subconscious sense of closeness to Zu An. She quickly focused, thinking, I can’t let Zu An affect my dao after I managed to stop this terrifying expert’s dao from affecting me.

She really was curious. Why was it that even though she couldn't stand the pressure at her level, Zu An seemed to be completely fine? Normally, there should have been no reason for him to have even greater resistance than her at his cultivation rank, right?

She looked at the resplendent golden figure on the formation. She gradually discerned a sense of familiarity from it, and her expression changed. She began, “Don’t tell me…”

Zu An nodded and said, “This is precisely the emperor’s aura.”

Even though Yan Xuehen had met the emperor, the two had never fought against each other before. She wasn’t that familiar with his real aura. In contrast, Zu An had fought to the death against the emperor’s soul fragment in the Westhound Tomb secret dungeon. The sensation was one he couldn’t be more familiar with. That was why he had immediately made the connection as soon as the formation’s power erupted.

The emperor was suffering from heaven and man deterioration, and constantly hid in the palace to rest. There was no way he could be outside. Thus, Zu An had remembered the story Yan Xuehen mentioned and realized something. That was why he had boldly entered to confirm his suspicions.

Yan Xuehen realized that a powerful cultivator had indeed been present, but only a shadow remained. She didn’t know why, however.

Zu An asked, “Big sis Yan, do you still remember what you told me about the emperor’s visit to the Great Snowy Mountain, and how he left while seriously injured?”

“Are you saying this was where he left from?” Yan Xuehen asked. She had been struggling to see through the formation’s principles, but she suddenly understood. Wasn’t it nothing more than an exquisite and outstanding transport formation?

Zu An looked at the hot springs rich with ki, saying, “There’s no way an incredible place like this wouldn’t have an owner. The emperor was probably injured somewhere in the Great Snowy Mountains, before coming here to treat himself. He chased away the original owner of this place.”

“It could be that he was injured by the original owner here,” Yan Xuehen added.

“That is a possibility too,” Zu An said. His gaze shifted to the formation as he continued, “The emperor must have made this transport formation and left through it. However, because he was injured, some of his aura leaked out and remained here.

“Because of this formation’s profundity, as well as the richness of this cave’s ki, that strand of aura never disappeared. That powerful pressure prevented all the nearby creatures from approaching. That’s why this amazing place was preserved.”

Yan Xuehen wondered, “With the emperor’s cultivation, why didn’t he leave from the outside? Why did he have to carve out a transport formation?”

Zu An said gravely, “There’s a chance that there was something he feared outside. That was why he had to make a secret escape here.”

“Something even the emperor fears…” Yan Xuehen clicked her tongue. It really was hard for her to imagine something like that in this world.

“There’s no way we would be able to make it to Cloudcenter Commandery normally. Why don’t we give this formation a try?” Zu An suggested, although he was a bit hesitant even as he spoke. “Although, we’ll have really gambled poorly if we end up in the emperor’s place of seclusion.”

“That won’t happen. I can more or less tell that the formation will take us to the northwest of the empire. As for the exact coordinates, though, I can’t say for sure,” Yan Xuehen said after observing the formation for a while.

Zu An’s eyes lit up. He exclaimed, “Cloudcenter Commandery is also to the northwest! Then we can give it a shot.”

After that, he took out a pile of ki stones to power the formation. Yan Xuehen’s eyes narrowed when she saw that. How does this guy have so many heaven-grade ki stones? Did Yu Yanluo really take care of him that well?

Her heart skipped a beat when she thought of that. She quickly warned herself, Zu An and Yu Yanluo are lovers; what does it have to do with me? It almost sounds as if I’m jealous or something.

She noticed that her hand was still in Zu An’s and her cheeks heated up. She was about to let go, but Zu An pulled her over to the formation and said, “Don’t let go. Otherwise, it’ll be annoying if we end up getting sent to two different places.”

Yan Xuehen obviously knew about that possibility. Normally, in order to prevent being separated, those moving through a formation would stick close to each other. Even then, however, it wasn’t a guarantee.

As soon as she got on, however, she felt a warm hug wrap around her. Yan Xuehen was embarrassed and nervous, but Zu An said in her ear, “It’s just to prevent us from being separated.”

Yan Xuehen understood the principles well enough to understand that Zu An was just taking the chance to hug her as he wished. She gritted her teeth, but she was helpless. She could only let him do what he wanted for the time being.

…

When he remembered how Yan Xuehen’s face had been completely red, and she had been at a loss for what to do, Zu An couldn't help but grin.

“What are you smiling for?” Pei Mianman noticed his expression and harrumphed. “I feel that your smile is a bit dirty for some reason.”