Chapter 481: Hold Up, Daoist Friend!

Inside the Shadowless Shuttle, Wang Sheng's expression turned grim as he grabbed Spiritless.

He couldn't hope to match the golden roc's speed, and the distance to Earth was far too great. If he didn't act now, he would still be lagging far behind by the time the roc reached Earth.

After thinking for a moment, Wang Sheng switched Spiritless to his right hand, turned the Shadowless Shuttle, and sped toward the Sun. Yaoyun, who had been ready to merge with him, froze in surprise.

Wang Sheng has never been the type to retreat from a battle. His fighting spirit even burned fiercely a moment ago. Why did he suddenly change his mind?

Remaining concealed, the Shadowless Shuttle raced ahead at full power while Wang Sheng's spiritual perception monitored the three cultivators.

A few minutes later, the three mounted the golden roc. The moment it flew toward the Sun, Wang Sheng rushed out from the Shadowless Shuttle.

He spun twice in space, and behind him, the shuttle shrank to a

chi

in length. With a motion of his left hand, he pulled it toward him.

The instant the shuttle fell into his grasp, he swung his arms back. Immortal light rippled around him and manifested the three-legged Golden Crow, which then raised its head and shrieked silently before darting off in another direction.

Spiritless slid back into its scabbard. Feeling the three cultivators lock onto him, Wang Sheng tucked away the Shadowless Shuttle in his pendant and withdrew his spiritual perception. They had clearly sensed his presence.

Wang Sheng's heart tightened. Revealing himself meant losing the advantage of surprise and risking their thunderous assault head-on.

Now, it had become a battle of psychology and calculation.

He gambled that the three wouldn't just ignore him, and that his speed and ability to conceal his aura would make them uncertain of his true strength. If they hesitated and approached first, he could just hitch a ride on the golden roc, joining their "exploration" of the solar system.

Wang Sheng pushed his Soaring Red Feathers to its limit as he deliberately veered away from the Sun. His enchanted power surged, and he suppressed every trace of his aura's fluctuation.

He felt as though he was sprinting while forcing his breath to remain steady.

Half an hour later, the roc appeared in a golden streak and closed in slowly from behind, matching his trajectory. It was about one-sixth faster than his full-speed Soaring Red Feathers.

There was nothing he could do about it. His cultivation limited his technique, while the roc's speed was one of its race's innate talents. Strictly speaking, it was also a cultivator, merely of the beast kind.

Wang Sheng raised an eyebrow and gradually stopped. Eyes alert, he turned to face them. Brushing his right hand against the sword hilt on his shoulder, he somewhat mockingly questioned, "Eh?"

The roc swooped closer. Wang Sheng remained motionless in space, sharp and steady like an unsheathed sword. On the roc's back, the three exchanged glances and telepathically communicated.

"

Senior Zi, can you see through his cultivation?

"

"

I can't. He has to be concealing his aura,

"

the female immortal transmitted coolly.

"

But judging from his flight speed, he's at least as strong as I am. Test him and see if he's alone. If he is, he'll be easy prey.

"

The man with the twin sabers and the old cultivator in the round hat nodded in unison.

They shared a silent understanding now. All three smiled faintly as the woman descended from the roc and glided toward Wang Sheng.

He noticed she was still in a Daoist robe, though her wooden hairpin had been replaced with a jade and crimson hairpin, and her neck and ears glittered with ornaments. She had already been graceful before, but her beauty now had a certain charm. When she smiled faintly at Wang Sheng, it seemed almost enchanting.

They were in a dimly lit area since they were quite far from the Sun, though. From Wang Sheng's perspective, a hundred meters away, her smile looked a little unnerving.

He had always cultivated in brightly lit areas, like Earth or the Moon Palace. Hence, he had never trained in sight-enhancing techniques. He never knew how unsettling dim starlight could make a smile appear until now.

The female immortal released a soft glow of immortal light. With a fly-whisk in her hand, she gave him a proper Daoist bow.

The light swiftly reached him, and her gentle voice followed.

"Greetings, Daoist Friend. I am Ziyun, and I have been exploring this realm with my two companions. To meet a fellow Daoist here is truly fated."

Wang Sheng's vigilance did not fade. In the same ancient dialect, he replied, "Daoist Ziyun, why did you chase after me on your celestial beast?"

Ziyun smiled gracefully. "Please don't take offense. We've been searching this place for over ten years, but we've yet to find anything or meet another living being until now. When I saw your trail, I couldn't help but be overjoyed and came to meet you. Tell me, have you discovered anything here?"

Wang Sheng shook his head. He let go of his sword's hilt and clasped his hands behind his back. "I, too, have wandered here for more than a decade without finding anything. Strange, though, that we never crossed paths before."

"This peculiar realm is huge." Ziyun sighed softly. Her gaze was gentle and charming. "You seem very wary of me. We are not evildoers. You don't look like you know your way around this ancient battlefield, though. I don't think you frequent this place."

Wang Sheng nodded slightly. "I'm merely passing by. A friend from the Celestial Wind Sect invited me over, but while traveling, I saw a treasure's beam and followed its source. It led me to this place."

"Oh?" The warmth in Ziyun's eyes deepened a little. "Who's your acquaintance? As it happens, I also know a few people serving in that sect. Perhaps they even know each other."

"Daoist Friend," Wang Sheng said seriously, "if there's nothing else, I'd like us to part ways. The heavens are vast and the paths many. As long as we keep to ourselves, we shouldn't find ourselves in a conflict."

Ziyun frowned slightly and sighed. "Do you truly take us for bad people? I merely wish to befriend you, but that doesn't seem possible now. What a pity."

Wang Sheng clasped his hands and bowed. "This is honestly my first time venturing outside my sect. I may not yet understand all the proper etiquette, so please don't take offense. My master once said that one has to always be on guard around others.

"When traveling outside, one has to stay humble, cautious, and keenly aware that there will always be someone stronger. If I have offended you earlier, I ask for your forgiveness. I'll continue exploring this realm. Please go your way, Daoist Friend."

Ziyun raised her hand in a polite gesture, her eyes showing a trace of regret. "Please go ahead, Doaist friend."

Wang Sheng nodded. Still facing her, he slowly backed away.

Yaoyun telepathically asked, "

Weren't you planning to hitch a ride on their golden roc? Why are you backing off now?

"

"

Advancing through retreat,

"

Wang Sheng explained. "

Such is human nature. You've been around immortals since childhood, Princess, so you wouldn't understand these things.

"Look at Ziyun. Her name might be real, but the rest is likely fake. That soft smile of hers and those fleeting glances that can make anyone think she's interested are all signs of a seasoned wanderer. I won't judge her character yet, but I still believe she doesn't have good intentions.

"

Acting too innocent and trusting will only make her suspicious. The more cautious and guarded I seem, the more it will ease her doubts. Moreover, though they can't see through my cultivation, I'm sure they're well aware that I can see theirs. The way I'm behaving right now makes it appear that I am weaker than Ziyun.

"

Yaoyun muttered, "

Why don't you ever seem this clever on normal days?

"

"

We're not usually in situations like this. To be honest, I've done some study in 'cultivator psychology.' We can discuss it sometime if you want.

"

"

Stop your nonsense. She's watching you back away. Let's see how you'll handle this if she doesn't call out to stop you.

"

Right as Yaoyun finished, Ziyun called out, "Daoist Friend, may I at least know your surname and Daoist name?"

"My surname is Pi, Daoist name Kachew."

"Brother Pi." Ziyun hesitated for a moment. "To tell you the truth, we've just found a star map that points to a treasure trove. We're on our way to investigate it. Considering we had trouble securing the map, I suspect the trove will be heavily guarded. I fear we're not strong enough on our own and was hoping to find some allies."

Wang Sheng frowned, puzzled. "Star map? Where would you even find something like that in this place?"

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Here, please take a look." Ziyun took out the golden disk and showed it to Wang Sheng briefly before putting it back into her storage artifact. "Do you believe me now? If we find any treasure, we can divide it evenly into four shares. What do you say?"

Wang Sheng looked hesitant but ultimately shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't travel with you. Since you already have a map, I'll leave this realm instead."

Ziyun sighed softly. "Ah, so be it."

Wang Sheng pretended to do a divination. Following Yaoyun's quiet guidance, he then fixed his gaze in the direction of the exit.

Ziyun watched his expression fill up with regret as he turned into a stream of flames. Riding the Golden Crow, he flew toward the exit.

Her smile faded slightly as soon as he left. Looking a little disappointed, she sighed again and flew back to the golden roc.

Wang Sheng's spiritual perception couldn't detect it, but the three telepathically conversed.

The old man frowned. "

Senior Zi, you're just letting him go?

"

"

Don't worry,

" Ziyun replied calmly. "

That Pi Kachew will come back. It is human nature to be greedy. Moreover, he's clearly young and lacks experience in the outside world. He spoke so much without realizing how the ancient battlefield works. Slow down the roc. He'll come after us soon enough, within half a day at most.

"

The men nodded. The old man, who seemed to be the roc's handler, whispered, "Slow down, Chi Lian."

Chi Lian, the golden roc, spread its wings wide. It slowed to half its speed earlier.

Wang Sheng didn't dare fly too far. After widening the distance by a thousand

li

, he turned and followed them. He hesitated and stalled, like a bashful maiden approaching her bridal sedan.

After several hours of this back and forth, Wang Sheng finally sped up and caught up to the trio, who had been waiting patiently. "Hold up, Daoist Friend!"

The three exchanged knowing smiles, then quickly composed themselves.