This Sword Cultivator is Somewhat Dependable

"I see," Lu Qingshan nodded thoughtfully.

Although he was widely knowledgeable, he was not omniscient.

The Wilderness, he not only hadn't visited in his past life but had hardly even heard any news related to it. Naturally, he was pleased that someone who knew the area was willing to share information about the Wilderness.

"However, the other half of the oasis, because the environment is far more suitable for living, has a significantly larger number of demon beasts and fierce creatures than this barren land.

Therefore, for the humans living in the Wilderness, it's hard to say whether it's better to be in this barren land or safer in that half of the oasis," Liu Yu remarked somewhat sentimentally.

"Which region does Fellow Cultivator Lu come from?" Liu Yu changed the subject, subtly probing with his question.

"Zhenjiang Lu Family," Lu Qingshan was quite open about his background and declared it outright.

"I am from the Liu Family of Qianzhao City. The next time Fellow Cultivator Lu visits Qianzhao Mansion, just let me know, and I will make sure to host you well," Liu Yu was also very forthcoming and, without waiting for Lu Qingshan to ask, voluntarily disclosed his own origins.

To liven up the atmosphere, Liu Yu self-deprecatingly said, "Among the cultivators in this mission, I thought I was the one with the lowest cultivation, but I didn't expect that there would be a Fellow Cultivator Lu who sympathizes with my situation."

Liu Yu was a cultivator at the Golden Core Middle Stage, which certainly wasn't low, but aboard this Spirit Boat, it indeed seemed a bit inadequate.

Perhaps that was also why Liu Yu took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Lu Qingshan—finding another cultivator with even lower cultivation than his must have felt like finding a kindred spirit.

However, Lu Qingshan did not underestimate him because of this.

He didn't believe that the cultivators participating in this mission could be simple by any means.

Just like him, although he was only at the Golden Core Initial Stage, anyone who underestimated him would surely suffer a great loss.

....

The flying Spirit Boat, personally piloted by Beiming True Venerable, was not only incredibly fast but also came equipped with a high-grade concealment array, making it fly silently and even invisibly through the air.

There was even a time when a Fourth Grade demon bird passed right by the Spirit Boat without detecting its presence.
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The journey was uneventful and safe.

However, the scenery along the way, mostly low shrubs and barren yellow soil, also made Lu Qingshan feel a bit weary and irritable after a while.

Therefore, not long after, Lu Qingshan lost interest in the road conditions and resumed studying the Heaven Suppressing Secret Sword.

Sword techniques are indeed the most interesting!

After nearly ten days of diligent study and practice attempts in the tower, he had made some progress, albeit slight, pushing forward the mastery of this Secret Sword Technique: Heaven Suppressing (Learning Progress: 1.1%).

Although it was only 1% progress, this indicated that as long as he was willing to spend the time, he could master this Secret Sword Technique.

For most Sword Cultivators, this technique often involved years of dedicated study, maybe three or four years or even over a decade, without any gain; progress remained firmly at the starting point, from novice to abandonment.

Some swords aren't just about spending time; they require proper techniques to be executed.

Two days later, when Lu Qingshan had pushed the learning progress of the Heaven Suppressing Secret Sword to 1.3%, the swiftly flying Spirit Boat gradually came to a halt mid-air.

They had arrived at their destination.

......

Tower Master Pangyang frowned as he observed the Human Race village ahead.

Perhaps it couldn't be called a village—a small town would be more appropriate.

Because the village was quite large, with various types of crude but numerous houses, among which many native villagers resembling those seen earlier wandered about, though they were mostly women and children.

The barren land was not suitable for planting crops. To survive in such a place, men had to travel great distances most of the time to hunt where there were wild animals.

"The location given by the Yùn Láng Guard is indeed this place," Lǚ Yuān explained to the middle-aged cultivator beside him.

Beiming True Venerable's gaze was sharp as lightning as he scanned the small Human Race village, "These villagers are all mortals, not Underworld Cultivators. Their identities hold no deceit.

However, since this location was discovered through the Heavenly Secret Mirror used by the Yùn Láng Guard, the possibility of error is extremely low."

"There's another possibility, that this Human Race village is merely a cover, and the real branch of the Underworld is hidden within it in a more concealed manner," Tower Master Pāng Yáng said with a glint in his eyes. "Do not forget what the bloodline talent of the Void Demon's Child is."

Space True Intention!

Tower Master Pāng Yáng's remark enlightened both Beiming True Venerable and Lǚ Yuān.

.....

Lu Qingshan was also scrutinizing the indigenous village in front of him, unable to detect any issues for the moment.

"Lu Qingshan, I sense a familiar scent," suddenly spoke the Western Mouse King, hidden in Lu Qingshan's sleeve, breaking the deadlock.

"What scent?" Lu Qingshan's heart skipped a beat.

"It's the same as those blood-red crystals I consumed in Zhenjiang City. Importantly, it's extremely, extremely, extremely strong and very, very, very plentiful," the little demon mouse said, using six 'extremely's to describe the intensity of the scent.

Lu Qingshan was shaken.

When the Western Mouse King had broken through from a First Grade to a Second Grade demon beast, one of its newly awakened abilities was the keen ability to sense nearby Spiritual Objects beneficial for bloodline evolution.

Moreover, this sensing ability, stemming from its bloodline instinct, could not be shielded even by formations or runes.

The blood-red crystals it had initially consumed were indeed products of Blood Pool Reincarnation.

Blood Pool Reincarnation was a forbidden technique mastered only by the Underworld.

If the scent of Blood Pool Reincarnation was as intense as the Western Mouse King described,

it meant they were not mistaken; there indeed were traces of Underworld Cultivators here, and it was a very important branch!

But why, when it is so close at hand, can they see nothing at all?

The next moment, recalling the Void Demon's Child's Space True Intention ability, a thought flashed through his mind as quickly as lightning,

Space Illusion!

The middle-aged man explained gravely, "It's highly likely a space illusion, those proficient in Space True Intention can pull over a thin layer of space over an actual space, serving as a barrier."

Just like the edges of a minor realm always appear in different shapes, those shapes are not real; they are illusions created by powerful cultivators manipulating the spatial layers at will when they create a minor realm.

With this explanation from the middle-aged man, Tower Master Pāng Yáng and the others understood the situation clearly.

"Whether it is a space illusion or not, let's treat it as such for now, Beiming, you and Lǚ Yuān will coordinate the cultivators' movements," Tower Master Pāng Yáng began to issue commands.

"Understood, Tower Master!" Both Beiming and Lǚ Yuān responded in unison.

"For sealing the space, we'll need to bother True Venerable Hán Méi," Tower Master Pāng Yáng politely said to the middle-aged man.

"It is only right," True Venerable Hán Méi replied primly.

......