122: Chapter 122 One Wave After Another

As soon as their figures vanished, the forest fell completely silent.

Nothing remained but damaged tents scattered across the ground, messy footprints, and residual Spiritual Qi fluctuations.

Just then.

A series of soft, rapid footsteps approached from afar, and a group of figures dressed in black with their faces covered by masks dashed over.

Judging by their figures and posture, they were all women.

"Senior Sister, there are signs of a fight here!" one of them said, bending down to examine the ground.

Her fingertips brushed over the damaged parts of the tent.

The leader of the women in black nodded slightly.

"Hmm."

Another person raised a hand to tug at her mask and asked, puzzled,

"Senior Sister, we aren't here to seize the Dragon, so why be so secretive?"

"Hmph, naturally I have my reasons." The leader's tone was calm but carried an unquestionable authority.

"Concealing our identities is the safest strategy for self-preservation."

She closed her eyes to focus and perceive for a moment, her brows slowly knitting together.

"The aura of our Junior Sister is here, but it breaks off at this point, leaving no further trace."

"Senior Sister, could it be that Junior Sister used a teleportation array?" someone guessed tentatively.

"Do you think teleportation arrays are like cabbages that can be found everywhere?" another retorted crossly.

"Teleportation arrays are already extremely rare on the Lingyun Continent; ordinary Cultivators find it hard to even see one, so how could Junior Sister easily possess one?"

The leader waved her hand and said in a deep voice, "Enough, we will continue tracking Junior Sister's whereabouts. The Phantom God Forest hides many dangers; remember, unless absolutely necessary, never act alone."

Having said that, her figure flashed, and she quickly disappeared.

The remaining women in black followed closely behind, not daring to delay.

Not long after they left.

Another group of men in black appeared quietly, their auras sinister.

They were completely different from the previous group of women.

"Crown Prince, the trail ends here," one of them reported to the leader with a bow, his tone respectful.

The voice of the leading Man in black was low and hoarse.

"It seems that kid is hiding a Magic Treasure that can mask his aura."

"Crown Prince, we can follow the auras of the others to track him down," someone beside him suggested.

The leader nodded slightly: "Feasible."

The few said no more and followed the faint residual aura in the forest.

They quickly pursued in the direction where Ling Tian and his group had departed.

...On the other side.

Xiang Tian transferred Princess Zhou Zhiyan and the others to an unknown, deep part of the dense forest.

Here, ancient trees towered into the sky, their intertwined branches and leaves blocking out the sun, and the Spiritual Qi in the air was dense.

It far exceeded the outer perimeter of the Phantom God Forest.

"Xiang Tian, how exactly did you do that?" Princess Zhou Zhiyan's gaze locked tightly onto Xiang Tian.

That method of instantaneous transfer just now was truly too astonishing.

Xiang Tian curled his lips.

"My secrets can only be known by my woman. Once we are married and have children, it won't be too late to talk about it."

Princess Zhou Zhiyan's cheeks warmed slightly, and she gave a soft huff.

"Fine, don't tell me then! But... I still want to thank you."

She had a thousand words she wanted to say, but hindered by the presence of everyone nearby,

it ultimately turned into only a brief expression of gratitude.

"Xiang Tian, you really are our lucky star!"

Ouyang Yuanshan walked up quickly and handed a storage ring to Xiang Tian.

"These are the Spirit Beasts I captured during this hunt; I gift them all to you!"

"And mine!" Qin Batian was not to be outdone and hurriedly took out his own storage ring.

The others followed suit, handing over their respective harvests.

Xiang Tian verbally declined repeatedly.

"Oh, how embarrassing!"

Yet his hands honestly accepted them one by one.

With these gains, obtaining a noble title, rewards, and being allocated a mansion,

he would be able to live a shameless and unrestrained life in the Imperial City.

Just thinking about these days gave him something to look forward to.

"Xiang Tian, hurry up and set up a tent for me!"

Xiahou Yun's voice suddenly came, interrupting Xiang Tian's train of thought.

"Coming!" Xiang Tian immediately composed his thoughts and moved.

He swung his sword to cut through the surrounding bushes and vines, quickly clearing an open space.

Watching Xiang Tian's obedient and attentive demeanor toward Xiahou Yun,

a trace of envy flashed in the eyes of Yan Linfei, Ouyang Huamei, and others.

Ouyang Ling tugged at Ouyang Huamei's arm and whispered,

"Sister Huamei, look, Xiahou Yun is the one Xiang Tian truly cares about; you are at most just a dessert."

Ouyang Huamei, however, gave a soft laugh, her eyes full of relief.

"Silly girl, a man who can lower himself and do things personally for the woman he loves—that is the kind of man I want."

"You are all thinking about it wrong," The Fish Fairy walked up, her tone serious.

"Between them is a bond where they can completely entrust their backs to each other and are willing to sacrifice their lives for one another; what you see is merely the surface."

She had once witnessed the two of them survive life and death together.

Naturally, she understood the weight of this emotion, and envy was hard to hide in her words.

"I can do that too!" Ouyang Miaomiao stepped forward quickly, her eyes firm.

"We all can!" Yan Linfei chimed in as well.

Watching this scene, Princess Zhou Zhiyan coughed lightly in helplessness and spoke up to interrupt.

"Alright, stop chatting, hurry up and set up the tents to rest."

Everyone immediately composed their thoughts and got busy.

The sounds of chopping trees and setting up tents soon echoed through the forest.

That night, Xiang Tian slept exceptionally soundly.

He held Xiahou Yun tightly, and she was half-reluctant, half-willing.

Although they did not engage in Dual Cultivation, it could be considered that their relationship had progressed further.

He no longer needed to rely on an Invisibility Talisman to sneak into bed.

The next morning.

The sky was just beginning to brighten.

A deafening roar of a Spirit Beast suddenly rang through the forest, startling everyone from their sleep.

Xiang Tian rubbed his eyes, muttering with a tone of impatience.

"What's all the noise? Isn't this disturbing our sleep as a couple?"

"Xiang Tian, get out here quickly!" Princess Zhou Zhiyan's voice rang out from outside the tent.

"A Spirit Beast tide has appeared in the forest; we must find a place to hide as soon as possible!"

Hearing the words "Spirit Beast tide," Xiang Tian instantly sobered up, his brows knitting tightly.

Xiahou Yun also got up immediately, pulling Xiang Tian to walk quickly out of the tent.

"We need to find a hidden cave to take shelter."

As soon as the two walked out of the tent, they saw Princess Zhou Zhiyan looking toward the depths of the dense forest with a grave expression.

Xiang Tian walked up and comforted her in a relaxed tone.

"Zhi Yan, don't worry, I have a secret method specifically for dealing with Spirit Beast tides."

Princess Zhou Zhiyan's brows furrowed even tighter, and she retorted.

"You don't mean the Dragon's roar, do you?"

Xiang Tian was somewhat puzzled: "Since you know, why are you still worried?"

"We are currently fleeing for our lives!" Princess Zhou Zhiyan's expression sank instantly.

"Do you have any idea how many factions and how many pairs of eyes are hiding in this Phantom God Forest? While the Dragon's roar can drive away Spirit Beasts, it will also completely expose our position!"

Xiang Tian slapped his thigh, suddenly realizing.

"How did I not think of this!"

"What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and go!" Xiang Tian immediately took Xiahou Yun's hand and walked quickly toward the group.

Princess Zhou Zhiyan gave a cold huff and followed closely behind.

The group did not dare to delay and quickly searched for a hiding place in the depths of the dense forest.

Fortunately, not long after, they found a spacious cave.

Just as they had settled down in the cave, footsteps could be heard not far outside the cave.

"Young Sect Master, they should be in this vicinity." A Man in black reported in a low voice after stepping forward to investigate.

A trace of greed flashed in Ling Tian's eyes; he looked at Deacon Huang, his tone carrying temptation.

"Deacon Huang, as long as you help me make that Dragon successfully acknowledge me as its master, you will be the tenth Elder of the Yinshi Sect in the future."

This promise was tempting enough to make Deacon Huang serve him at the risk of his life.

Upon hearing this, Deacon Huang was so excited that he almost knelt to kowtow in thanks, his voice trembling.

"This old servant thanks the Young Sect Master for the promotion!"

With his cultivation, without some earth-shattering achievement,

thinking of sitting in the position of Elder in the Yinshi Sect was simply a pipe dream.

"Don't be in such a hurry to thank me." Ling Tian changed the subject, his tone instantly turning icy.

"If you mess this up, the Dragon doesn't acknowledge me as master, and Xiang Tian runs away, you can forget about being a Deacon."

Deacon Huang's entire body stiffened, his legs going weak with fear.

In the Yinshi Sect, managing to attain the position of Deacon was already as difficult as ascending to heaven.

It not only required solid cultivation but also the knowledge of ruthless methods.

Internal strife was never restricted within the Sect; as long as one could eliminate their opponent, they would use any means necessary.

Deceased Disciples would even be treated as fodder for the Sect's Cultivation.

He absolutely could not lose this hard-won position.

"Young Sect Master, rest assured, this old servant will definitely do my utmost to capture Xiang Tian and help you make the Divine Dragon acknowledge you as its master!" Deacon Huang immediately bowed and cupped his hands.

Ling Tian nodded with satisfaction and raised his hand to pat his shoulder.

"Hmm, this Young Sect Master trusts you."

Having said that!

He looked toward the direction of the cave with a sinister gaze, a ruthless smile curling at the corners of his mouth.