Chapter 634: Does It Look the Same?

As several arcs of light flashed across the sky and gathered among the clouds, Tian Mingtai finally lost his patience and snapped, "It's been nearly a whole day and night. Where on earth is the princess?"

He had led the group from Taotie City with the intention of locating the princess of the High Moon Kingdom first, hoping that they would then win the king's favor. With the royal uncle's support, they could then finalize the deal before the representatives of the Mount Shu Sect even arrived.

But who could have predicted that Han Lu, renowned as the best tracker, would lead them aimlessly through the skies for an entire day and night without results?

Even Han Lu started to doubt himself. He sniffed the small vial in his hand once more and took a deep breath of the surrounding air.

The rising smoke twisted and turned, forming the shape of a White Dragon that rushed into his nostrils. Opening his eyes with great certainty, he declared, "The scent is just ahead, and it's fresh. We are very close to the target."

"Still ahead?!" Tian Mingtai roared in frustration. "If we go any further, we'll end up at the East Sea!"

"That dragon kidnapped the princess of the High Moon Kingdom. Fleeing to the East Sea out of fear of punishment makes perfect sense, doesn't it?" Han Lu replied confidently.

"Fine." Tian Mingtai nodded. "We'd better find it."

With that, Han Lu took the lead, and the team set off once more.

They flew for what felt like an eternity until they finally crossed the coastline. Under the setting sun, they arrived at the vast, shimmering ocean, its surface glowing with hues of gold and red.

Suddenly, Han Lu came to an abrupt stop.

"What is it?" Tian Mingtai demanded. "Do you have results?"

"The scent trail here..." Han Lu stammered, "It's gone."

"Gone?" Tian Mingtai stared out at the endless sea. "Gone, like my career prospects?"

"It's possible it dove into the sea," Han Lu suggested hesitantly. "If we go down and search... we might still find something."

"Fine. Then

you

go down and look for it," Tian Mingtai snapped, the veins on his forehead throbbing with frustration. "And if you come back empty-handed, don't bother showing your face again."

At this very moment, the Mount Shu Sect people had likely already arrived at the High Moon Kingdom. So much time had been wasted chasing ghosts that the deal was probably concluded by now.

And it was all because of this man.

Han Lu, renowned in Taotie City for his Divine Tracker Nose, was famous for his "dog nose." Following a trail across thousands of li was child's play for him. Tian Mingtai really thought that Han Lu's presence would guarantee that they would find the princess.

Who could have expected such an embarrassing failure this time?

Han Lu felt equally aggrieved. "If you hadn't been injured and we'd left earlier, we might have caught the demonic dragon back in the lair."

"You think I got myself injured on purpose?!" Tian Mingtai snapped, his face darkening. Just hearing it made his anger flare up even more.

"You were the one who provoked him and pressured him with your qi flow," Han Lu retorted. "Was that intentional or accidental?"

"I..." Tian Mingtai stammered, momentarily speechless.

Initially, he had thought that the Mount Shu Sect disciple was just a young, low-level cultivator. His plan had been to suppress him effortlessly and prevent him from becoming a nuisance.

Who could have known that the young man would turn out to be so terrifying?

Even now, Tian Mingtai shuddered at the memory. That single kick had nearly sent him straight to his ancestral grave to reunite with his great-grandparents.

Since that day, he had reflected deeply on his actions.

When it came to strength, even if Mount Shu Sect was considered the weakest among the Divine Nine, it was still not an opponent the Taotie City could afford to provoke. As long as the members of Mount Shu followed the established business rules, Taotie City would have no choice but to abide by them as well.

After a brief pause, Tian Mingtai said sternly, "In any case, all of you stay here and don't leave until the princess is found. I'll return to the High Moon Kingdom first to see how the situation has developed."

With that, he turned and strode off decisively, leaving his subordinates behind, staring at each other in confusion.

Suspended aimlessly over the vast sea, they watched the waves roll in and out, their search growing increasingly futile. At this point, even the rhythmic crash of the waves seemed to mock them.

...

The Blossom Barbarian Kingdom had only one city, which was its capital.

Although it was called a capital city, it was a simple city built from stacked boulders in a crude, almost primitive manner. Yet, the stone walls were draped in colorful vines and blooming flowers, turning the rugged architecture into a vibrant and picturesque scene.

As its name suggested, the Blossom Barbarian Kingdom left two strong impressions: blossoming flowers and barbarism.

The blossoming flower referred to the kingdom's warm and pleasant climate, where vegetation thrived, and flowers bloomed everywhere. From palaces to homes, from tiled roofs to thatched cottages, every surface was adorned with blossoming flowers.

The "barbarism" referred to the kingdom's underdeveloped state, where many regions still clung to tribal customs. This wasn't uncommon among the kingdoms in the Western Regions, where vast deserts separated tribes, creating significant disparities in culture and civilization.

However, today, the most dazzling sight on the city walls was not the sea of flowers.

It was a woman.

Dressed in a flowing white robe, she stood silently atop the city wall, her gaze fixed on the distant sky as though she were waiting for someone.

Her face couldn't be seen clearly from afar, but she gave off this otherworldly and aloof presence. Upon seeing her face clearly, people couldn't help but wonder if a goddess had descended to earth.

Before long, many citizens of the Blossom Barbarian Kingdom stopped to watch her.

From the crowd emerged a sturdy young man riding an exotic beast clad in vine armor. With a grin, he called out, "Beautiful lady, I am the prince of the Blossom Barbarian Kingdom. How about I personally show you around our kingdom? You—"

Whoosh.

Before he could finish his sentence, the prince vanished.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself back in the royal palace, having been transported miles away in an instant.

Meanwhile, the people at the scene were left even more amazed. The reason no one else dared to approach her was clear—every man who had tried to speak to her had mysteriously vanished, as if by divine intervention.

𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

It felt like a miracle, something beyond mortal understanding.

The citizens of the Blossom Barbarian Kingdom all came to the same conclusion: she must be a celestial fairy sent by the heavens.

After waiting for what felt like a long time, a sweeping gust of wind suddenly rolled in from the distant horizon. With a powerful howl, it descended upon the city wall and transformed into the silhouette of a young man dressed in fine robes.

The wind carried him straight into the woman's arms, and when it settled, the two were already tightly embracing each other.

"I came as soon as I got your message. You haven't been waiting long, have you?"

"No," she replied softly. "I knew you'd come right away."

"I'm sorry for making you worry all this time."

"I understand. If you'd been okay, you would have come to me as soon as you could."

Chu Liang held Jiang Yuebai close as Jiang Yuebai wrapped her arms around his back. After those few simple words, the two stood quietly, embracing each other in silence.

Though they hadn't seen each other for years, they both remained calm.

Yet, within that silence, they could clearly feel the steadfast longing in each other's hearts.

As the crowd of onlookers below grew larger, a soft cough broke the moment. "

Ahem

, that's enough. You're in public."

Chu Liang's gaze shifted over Jiang Yuebai's shoulder, landing on the figure of the Whale-Riding Immortal standing nearby.

"Hehe," Chu Liang quickly released Jiang Yuebai and greeted respectfully, "Esteemed Senior."

With a wave of his wide sleeve, the Whale-Riding Immortal stirred the wind. In an instant, the three of them were transported to an unremarkable, desolate hill far from the crowd.

"You've made great progress over the past six years," the Whale-Riding Immortal remarked. Unlike someone like Tian Mingtai, he could see Chu Liang's true strength at a glance. "It won't be long before you ascend to the Heavenly Gate."

"It's just a blessing in disguise," Chu Liang replied with a smile. "Have things gone smoothly for you these past years?"

Jiang Yuebai gently shook her head. "We've traveled across the nine provinces, but it's still nearly impossible to find any trace of the Divine Ruins' scroll."

At the mention of the Divine Ruins' scroll, the Whale-Riding Immortal's smile faded slightly.

"What exactly is this Divine Ruins' scroll?" Chu Liang asked. "Now that the Red Cotton Peak of the Mount Shu Sect has considerable influence, I can have people help investigate."

"That won't work," the Whale-Riding Immortal said firmly. "Searching for the Divine Ruins' scroll must be done in absolute secrecy. If word gets out and the Divine Ruins Monastery learns that someone is trying to locate them, they will definitely act to eliminate us."

Even as a powerful expert who had attained the Heavenly Origin, the thought still sent chills down his spine.

Back then, the Jiang Family, one of the renowned Three Aristocratic Families, had been wiped out overnight. The terror of the Divine Ruins Monastery was something he understood better than anyone.

"I see," Chu Liang said, giving up the idea.

"However," the Whale-Riding Immortal added, "if you happen to come across any clues, keep an eye out for us."

With that, he tossed a jade box to Chu Liang and Chu Liang opened it out of curiosity.

Inside was a dark golden leather scroll made of unknown material, yet imbued with a restrained spiritual aura. The surface was etched with strange, obscure patterns, and it was obvious this was only one-quarter of a larger whole.

"This..." Chu Liang stared at it, suddenly finding it familiar.

"This item is the key to finding my mother and the only path to locate the Divine Ruins Monastery," Jiang Yuebai sighed. "The world believes this map leads to the Immortals' Storehouse, so those who possess a piece of it remain hidden. Over the past six years, we've searched tirelessly, but even obtaining a single fragment has been nearly impossible."

"Hmm..." Chu Liang murmured thoughtfully. "I was going to say..."

Reaching into his robe, he slowly pulled out two more pieces and held them up side by side.

"Doesn't this look...exactly like the other two pieces I already have?"