NOVPUBXugou County spans thousands of miles around.
The landscape is crisscrossed with gullies, mountain ranges, and deep valleys, its topography varying greatly in elevation.
For ordinary mortals to traverse it would be exceedingly difficult.
Therefore, to the mortals of West Sea Country, this county is deemed a significant natural fortress protecting the capital.
Of course, this is only relative to mortals.
"It is said that countless tens of thousands of years ago, the West Sea Country was also an expanse of ocean. But as time passed and the sea turned to mulberry fields, the current terrain emerged. This is why the treacherous landscape of Xugou has formed what the mortals call a natural fortress."
"In recent years due to the tense warfare in West Sea Country, in order to protect the country’s mortals, those living in remote areas have all been relocated near the capital. Many sky-blocking measures have been set up in Xugou County."
Zhao Feng spoke in a low voice.
The two men flew side by side at a low altitude.
Yet their forms were visibly sinking lower and lower toward the ground.
Wang Ba felt the increasing pressure from above and nodded slightly.
Their speed hadn’t slowed down much, but their altitude had been lowered.
"Then what if cultivators from the Three Continents skirt around Xugou County from both sides? Wouldn’t that make these measures useless…"
Wang Ba questioned offhandedly.
However, Zhao Feng shook his head and said,
"On both sides of Xugou, to the north there is only Dishui County between Juhai City, and to the south is not too far from Buxi City, where Longevity Sect is stationed. Any slight commotion would hardly escape their notice…"
While speaking, Zhao Feng and Wang Ba simultaneously turned their gaze toward the distance below.
A figure suddenly shot out, flying swiftly.
He seemed to completely ignore the Sky-Blocking Array, quickly rising into the air.
Dressed in a standard robe, his aura slightly condensed, he wore a vigilant expression as he watched the two men.
With mana fluctuating at a Golden Core Realm middle-stage, his sleeves appeared to be brewing a potent Qi.
He spoke in a stern voice,
"Who are you? What brings you here!"
"A member of the Longevity Sect?"
Recognizing the standard robe on the man, Wang Ba quickly responded with a salute,
"This fellow brother, we are disciples from the Myriad Phenomena Sect."
"Myriad Phenomena Sect?"
The cultivator’s expression cleared slightly but then turned serious again,
"Please forgive me, it’s not that I doubt you, but cultivators from the Three Continents are crafty, and there have been acts of disguised infiltration. I must ask you both to immediately verify your identities, or else I shall have to be impolite."
Wang Ba was momentarily astonished but understood.
He had nothing for self-verification, but an idea struck him, and he quickly produced his Myriad Phenomena Sect Identity Plate.
However, the cultivator did not even glance at it, his face stern,
"Previously, the corpses of some fellows from two sects disappeared without a trace; an Identity Plate proves nothing."
Wang Ba’s brows furrowed.
If the Identity Plate was insufficient, what else could he offer as proof?
It was then that Zhao Feng beside him suddenly spoke out, uttering a sequence of strange phrases.
The Longevity Sect cultivator paused and then promptly responded with a couple of sentences.
Zhao Feng immediately retorted smoothly.
After a few back-and-forth exchanges, the solemn expression on the Longevity Sect cultivator’s face relaxed, and he quickly revealed an apologetic smile, offering a salutation,
"So, you are the Daoist friends stationed in the south. I am surnamed An, please excuse my earlier offense."
"Daoist Brother An, you are too courteous. It’s appropriate to take such precautions in tense times. There’s no problem with being vigilant." 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝙗.𝒄𝒐𝒎
Zhao Feng calmly stated.
Wang Ba did not inquire further, evidently recognizing that the passphrase was a means for the cultivators of West Sea Country to confirm each other’s identities.
Having spent several years here, Zhao Feng was naturally familiar with it.
"Daoist Brother An, do you know the current situation?"
Zhao Feng asked further.
Now that their identities were confirmed, the cultivator surnamed An from the Longevity Sect was no longer as guarded as before. But when the topic of the situation came up, his face inevitably darkened,
"In the past half-year, the number of cultivators arriving from the Three Continents has increased... A few days ago, Master Yao from your sect faced two enemies alone. Personal Disciple Xue from our sect barely managed to hold off an Immortal Ascension cultivator, thus keeping Juhai City safe. Yet... ah, I should not speak so freely, but we really don’t know how long Master Yao and Personal Disciple Xue can hold on for."
Cultivator An shook his head with a soft sigh.
Wang Ba and Zhao Feng exchanged glances, both letting out a sigh of relief.
They had thought that with the destruction of the Teleportation Array, the situation must have been dire. It seemed now that while not optimistic, things were not yet desperate.
Zhao Feng spoke softly to console, "Don’t worry too much. The sect has its own considerations."
Hearing these words, Cultivator An nodded.
Despite the difficulties, he had never doubted the decisions of the sect.
Wang Ba, however, couldn’t help feeling perplexed.
As far as he knew, both the Myriad Phenomena Sect and the Longevity Sect had numerous high-level cultivators. Yet with West Sea Country’s situation being so critical, the high echelon of both sects seemed indifferent.
Even now, the Chief Guardian of West Sea Country was Guan Ao, a Nascent Soul Cultivator, rather than a Divine Transformation Ancestor.
And they were facing cultivators from the Three Continents who, driven by a great flood and fighting for their lives, had no place to retreat.
Even though there were not many who had reached Immortal Ascension yet,
a mere thought made him find it peculiar.
"Master... Personal Disciple Xue..."
Wang Ba slightly furrowed his brows, as if grasping something intuitively.
At that moment,
Cultivator An’s expression suddenly turned grave.
He then swiftly flew towards the north with a solemn look.
Wang Ba and Zhao Feng exchanged looks, deciding not to leave immediately, and followed right after.
Within barely ten breaths, they saw Cultivator An halting in front of five cultivators dressed in Myriad Phenomena Sect attire, all Golden Core Craftsman.
To Wang Ba, these five seemed to be at the early to middle stage of the Golden Core Realm.
