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The current war, led by the Golden Sun Sect and its allies, was essentially a defensive retaliation, though their deeper strategic intention seemed to be a "northern migration."

Meanwhile, the Chen and Yan Kingdoms were observing from the sidelines, having struck some sort of agreement, and were not intervening.

...

Half a month later.

In the mountain range several hundred li north of Zijing Immortal City, a middle-aged man with a medium build, round face, and yellow beard flew toward the area on a spirit boat.

“There are no sect patrol cultivators nearby? The Jiuchen Merchant Association certainly has considerable influence,” the round-faced man mused, narrowing his eyes as he surveyed the area.

This round-faced cultivator was none other than Lan Chang\'an, who had disguised himself using the Hundred Illusions Mask and taken on a new identity.

He flipped his hand and took out a white jade token, injecting his spiritual sense into it.

A signal from the token pointed him to a steep, forested mountain several hundred zhang ahead.

Lan Chang\'an hesitated for a moment and did not rush in.

Whoosh!

Behind him came the sound of another cultivator flying over. A burly man with a purple face and a heavy murderous aura approached, one arm bandaged tightly in a sling.

“You here for the gathering too?” The purple-faced man glanced at Lan Chang\'an and pulled out his own white jade token.

“Mm,” Lan Chang\'an nodded slightly, lagging a little behind as they flew toward the steep mountain.

Pop!

The purple-faced man gripped his token and broke through an invisible illusion formation, entering a hidden area at the mountain peak.

The supposed dense forest was actually an illusion. The mountain itself was bare, with only a few sparse trees.

At the center of the area were several large rocks, scattered among which were thirty to forty cultivators.

They varied in age and gender, with most being at the Foundation Establishment stage. There were also a few young Qi-Refining cultivators who had accompanied their elders.

“Is the representative from the Jiuchen Merchant Association here?” the purple-faced man asked, looking toward the center of the gathering.

No one responded, and an awkward silence fell over the group.

“Heh…” In one corner, a group of cultivators let out a few mocking chuckles, as if amused by the situation.

The purple-faced man’s expression darkened as he suppressed the violent aura radiating from him. He forced a grin and turned to chat with Lan Chang\'an, who had come in with him.

“What’s your name, Fellow Daoist?”

“I’m Wu Fan, just a nameless wandering cultivator,” Lan Chang\'an said casually.

The purple-faced man introduced himself as Fang but didn’t reveal his full background.

Lan Chang\'an assessed the man: his injuries were obvious, but his pure mana was stronger than that of most loose Foundation Establishment cultivators. The heavy murderous aura around him suggested he could be a deserter from the frontlines.

Deserters like him were not uncommon in times of war, often becoming wanted by their sects. If caught, their fates would be grim.

The two struck up some small talk, occasionally probing each other with cautious questions.

“The Jiuchen Merchant Association’s representatives haven’t shown up yet, even though this is the gathering point. What do you make of that, Fellow Daoist Wu?” Fang asked.

“The guild’s representatives might not show up in person. They could simply arrive with the spirit ship to take us aboard. That way, if anything goes wrong, they don’t have to take responsibility or leave any evidence behind,” Lan Chang\'an replied, his insight offering little new information.

Fang’s eyes glinted as he lowered his voice. “The Jiuchen Merchant Association’s people could be mingling among us, watching each of the cultivators who have gathered here.”

“Perhaps.” Lan Chang\'an remained expressionless.

As they conversed, Lan Chang\'an felt a subtle spiritual sense sweep over him and Fang.

This spiritual sense was stronger than that of a typical Fake Dan cultivator, suggesting it came from someone skilled in spiritual probing.

Fang’s remark drew the attention of that Fake Dan-level spiritual sense, lingering on him for a moment longer than usual.

Lan Chang\'an, who had disguised himself as a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, displayed a mana aura fitting for a loose cultivator—not drawing much attention but not appearing weak either.

...

Two hours later.

As the sun dipped toward the horizon, the number of cultivators on the mountain peak had grown to over fifty, with more than half being at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Lan Chang\'an had identified the location of the Fake Dan cultivator who had been spying on them using spiritual sense.

It was a kindly-looking elder dressed in a dark blue long robe, who spent most of his time with his eyes closed, seemingly resting.

Lan Chang\'an suspected this elder was a representative of the Jiuchen Merchant Association.

As night fell, a sense of restlessness crept through some of the gathered cultivators.

After all, most of those traveling to Jing were either fleeing or seeking refuge, and many were understandably anxious.

“It’s here!”

A low voice suddenly called out.

Whoosh!

The clouds overhead parted, and the air currents surged like waves.

A blue spirit ship, about fifty or sixty zhang long, encircled in the glow of formation lights, rapidly descended from the sky.

“Fellow Daoists, please present your tokens and line up to board the ship.”

A deep male voice came from the ship, accompanied by the pressure of a Fake Dan cultivator.

“Anyone who disrupts order will forfeit their chance to board.”

As the voice faded, the ship hovered about ten zhang above the mountain peak, lowering two gangways.

At one gangway, four sharp-eyed cultivators in armor—ranging from mid- to late-stage Foundation Establishment—stood guard, checking the boarding tokens. They appeared to be the ship’s guards.

The other gangway was guarded by two beautiful female Foundation Establishment cultivators.

This second entrance was not open to the general group of cultivators.

“Master Wang, the upper-level suite on the third deck has been prepared for you.”

Under the gaze of the crowd, a young man in a gold robe, with slicked-back hair and a pale complexion, boarded the ship with the assistance of two hunchbacked old servants and a young maid.

The scene drew the attention of the surrounding cultivators.

The golden-robed youth held not a white jade token, but a purple token!

“Who could this be? A descendant of some influential figure in the Liang Kingdom?”

“To be treated with such respect by the Jiuchen Merchant Association, he must be directly related to a True Dan cultivator.”

The cultivators on the mountain speculated silently, feeling a mix of envy and resentment but not daring to show it.

Lan Chang\'an glanced at the "Master Wang," noting that he had likely used a secret method to alter his appearance. Despite his early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, he appeared to be in his thirties.

The maid following him was at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

As for the hunchbacked old servants, their true cultivation was unclear.

Lan Chang\'an didn’t dare use his spiritual sense to investigate further.

With the war raging in the Liang Kingdom, even those fleeing to neighboring countries for refuge were ranked by priority. Important figures enjoyed much better treatment than ordinary cultivators.

After the golden-robed youth, several more groups boarded through the second gangway.

Some were individuals, while others were in small groups of two or three.

Most of these people held green tokens and were given private rooms aboard the ship.

It was easy to imagine that these people either came from powerful backgrounds or possessed extraordinary skills or knowledge.

One of the later boarders was a white-browed elder in the late stage of Foundation Establishment. Lan Chang\'an found him familiar—he had seen the man at an auction in Huanglong Immortal City, likely a quasi-third-rank artifact refiner.

Such individuals would be treated as honored guests by the Jiuchen Merchant Association, even if they were seeking refuge in a foreign country.

...

Lan Chang\'an, who was headed to Jing with plans to achieve Core Formation, had no desire to draw attention to himself. He hadn’t asked the Beast Taming Zhou Familys for help precisely for this reason.

The secret of the ancient ruins and the news of killing the Golden Sun Sect cultivators were potential risks he couldn’t control.

Perhaps he would never be hunted for these acts, and the matters would simply be forgotten.

After all, Mu Jiuan and the others would likely keep the Golden Sun Sect killings under wraps to avoid the embarrassment and scandal of their defeat, especially since they had been operating in enemy territory, which was already risky.

As for the ancient ruins, there were even more variables.

Before leaving, Lan Chang\'an had handed Lady Wei—the disciple of Liang Shaotian—to Fairy Shi to deal with.

If Fairy Shi had killed Lady Wei, the demonic sect might detect her death and begin investigating the ruins in the Black Fog Mountain Range. It would take them some time.

If she had released Lady Wei, the demonic sect would still take time to hear her report, and since Lady Wei’s memories of the ancient ruins were incomplete, the demonic sect’s leader might not even take it seriously.

Moreover, the two Fake Dan cultivators who had died in the ruins were unlikely to have leaked any information, though it couldn’t be ruled out entirely.

On his way back from the ruins, Lan Chang\'an had given Fairy Shi two suggestions.

First, if she chose to release Lady Wei, she should make her swear a heart demon oath.

Second, if possible, destroy the core of the ruins’ formation to accelerate the collapse of the treasure vault.

Fairy Shi had stated that only a third-rank formation master with expertise in the same school of formations would be able to attempt such a feat, and even then, without full confidence.

Lan Chang\'an wasn’t sure what decision Fairy Shi had ultimately made.

As for himself, his knowledge of formations was limited. He didn’t have the ability to destroy an ancient formation without worrying about the backlash.

...

“Xinyue Merchant Association? What’s your name? Where are you from in the Liang Kingdom?”

After waiting for a while, it was finally Lan Chang\'an’s turn to board.

A heavily armored late-stage Foundation Establishment man checked his jade token and asked a few questions.

After presenting the token, Lan Chang\'an underwent a simple inquiry and identity registration.

The token provided by the merchant guild didn’t have his name or other identifying information on it.

This was quite common. Most of the cultivators seeking refuge in Jing preferred to keep their identities hidden, using aliases instead of their real names.

“I’m Wu Fan, from Huanglong Immortal City.”

It was a formality. They simply recorded his cultivation and name, even if the information was false.

Once the registration was complete, a tall and thin guild cultivator led Lan Chang\'an and four other Foundation Establishment cultivators to their accommodations on the ship.

“Fellow Daoists, due to a shortage of cabins, we’ll have to ask you to stay in the lower cargo hold.”

The tall, thin guild cultivator apologized with a smile.

“The cargo hold?” The purple-faced man traveling with Lan Chang\'an looked displeased.

Most of the cultivators here had spent considerable effort and spirit stones to secure their “tickets” for this cross-border journey.

“Our Jiuchen Merchant Association typically carries over a hundred cultivators from various factions in the Merchant Alliance on these cross-border trips. Given the number of honored guests from your kingdom, it\'s natural that cabins are limited.”

The guild cultivator smiled politely.

He was only a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, but he seemed calm and confident in front of Lan Chang\'an’s group.

There were more than just a few Fake Dan cultivators aboard the Jiuchen Merchant Association’s spirit ship. They had a formidable escort team, as well as over a hundred cultivators from the Merchant Alliance.

If any of the Liang Kingdom cultivators caused trouble, they could be expelled from the ship.

And if anyone dared to resort to violence, the consequences would be severe.

“This spirit ship is fifty or sixty zhang long, with three levels of cabins. How could there not be enough single rooms?” Lan Chang\'an thought to himself.

Not long after.

Lan Chang\'an and the other four were taken to the dim cargo hold below the deck.

At this point, the cargo hold was already crowded with twenty or thirty cultivators, their varying auras mixing together.

More cultivators were brought in afterward.

Lan Chang\'an frowned slightly. Being crammed into a public cargo hold with so many other cultivators, safety, privacy, and comfort were all in question.

“If you’re dissatisfied with the cargo hold, there are still a few regular cabins available on the upper deck. These cabins offer a second-rank spiritual vein environment, even when passing through spirit-deprived zones,” the guild cultivator offered in a low voice.

Lan Chang\'an exchanged a glance with the purple-faced man, who looked angry but eventually sighed and restrained himself.

...

A quarter of an hour later.

The spirit ship ascended into the sky, and the cross-border journey began.

In a regular cabin on the ship’s first deck.

Lan Chang\'an brewed a pot of tea and sat at a table, gazing out the window at the endless sea of clouds.

For the price of three thousand spirit stones, he had upgraded from the grim cargo hold to a private cabin about ten square meters in size.

Nearly half of the Liang Kingdom cultivators remained crammed into the dark cargo hold below deck.

Three thousand spirit stones was not a trivial amount for a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Many of the cultivators had already spent four to five thousand spirit stones to secure their tickets, often using up favors and resources.

By the time they reached the gathering point, they still needed to bribe law enforcement cultivators along the way. Those who were unlucky might even have to sell their magical weapons to afford the trip.

Most ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators had their spirit stones practically drained by the time they boarded the ship.

Some were even traveling with younger relatives at the Qi-Refining stage. If they wanted to upgrade to a cabin, they would need to pay double the price.

Each regular cabin could only accommodate one person.

As for the "Master Wang" who had boarded earlier, he was staying in a luxury suite.

“For some, this journey is an escape from disaster. For others, it’s just a cross-border vacation,” Lan Chang\'an mused, sipping his fragrant tea, a warmth spreading through him.

“Hm? Why is the ship veering northward?”

Half a day later, Lan Chang\'an stood on the deck, gazing at the landscape through the shimmering formation light.

He could sense a familiar aura from the direction of the Black Fog Mountain Range.

Normally, the spirit ship should have continued westward toward Jing.

To the north lay the Black Fog Mountain Range.

In fact, there was another, more dangerous route to Jing from the Liang Kingdom.

That route led deep into the Black Fog Mountain Range, looping around before eventually heading south to Jing.

However, this path was much longer and involved venturing deep into the mountains, where encounters with powerful demon beasts were a real possibility.

Additionally, the outer edges of the mountains were patrolled by sect law enforcement cultivators, bandits, and the ever-elusive demonic sect members.

...

As suspicion began to rise in Lan Chang\'an’s mind.

The massive spirit ship slowly hovered to a stop near a large river at the edge of the Black Fog Mountain Range.

On the riverbank, a second-rank spirit boat carrying a man and a woman flew toward the Jiuchen Merchant Association’s spirit ship.

“Are they picking someone up?”

The cultivators aboard the ship, both from the Liang Kingdom and the Jing Merchant Alliance, were taken by surprise.

For the cultivators of the Merchant Alliance, it was unusual for the spirit ship to deviate from its course to pick up additional passengers.

It was extremely rare for the ship to change direction mid-journey.

The cultivators on board eyed the pair on the spirit boat with curiosity.

The boat’s driver was a black-clad man in the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

In the center of the boat sat a long-haired woman, her face covered by a veil.

Her veil concealed her aura and blocked spiritual sense from probing.

Clearly, the two boarding midway had some significant backing, as none of the cultivators dared to use their spiritual sense to investigate.

“Please head to the third-floor cabin.”

Several of the Jiuchen Merchant Association’s officials greeted the pair with courtesy as they boarded.

Out of caution, Lan Chang\'an refrained from using his spiritual sense to probe them.

However, just by observing the woman’s posture and figure, Lan Chang\'an felt a sudden sense of familiarity.

“Why is she boarding the Jiuchen Merchant Association’s spirit ship?”

...