The Road to Sishui Marsh

The following day, Chi Qiu swallowed a lotus seed from the Nine-Petaled Azure Lotus, quietly awaiting the slow transformation of her physique. Afterward, she departed her cave abode, venturing into the wilderness to seek out demonic beasts. She intended to use them for practicing her secret technique, Flying Haze. Meanwhile, Su Hanxing remained within the cave, meditating to recuperate from his injuries.

By nightfall, Chi Qiu would return to the cave with thoroughly prepared demonic beast meat, where she would light a fire and roast it. Demonic beast meat differed significantly from that of ordinary wild animals. Its flesh was firm and rich in spiritual energy, making it unsuitable for consumption by anyone other than cultivators. Should a mortal consume it, the surge of spiritual energy would instantly cause their body to burst.

Chi Qiu was not particularly fond of demonic beast meat. Most demonic creatures relied on their physical bodies in combat, unlike humans who utilized magic treasures and secret techniques. Consequently, their flesh was exceedingly tough, a characteristic that persisted even after death. To render the meat palatable, one had to use true qi during cooking to break down its internal structure—a process that was both intricate and troublesome. Even then, the resulting food remained incredibly tough to chew.

Despite its drawbacks, the greatest advantage of demonic beast meat lay in its rich spiritual and demonic energy. It was a potent tonic, especially for injured cultivators, as it significantly accelerated their healing. It was precisely for this reason that Chi Qiu brought demonic beasts back to the cave every day.

With the aid of the Nine-Petaled Lotus seeds, Sang Tea, and the demonic beast meat, Su Hanxing’s injuries finally healed after three days, and his strength returned to its peak.

“My recovery this time is entirely thanks to you, Little Chi. Words cannot express my gratitude, but I will surely repay this great kindness in the future.” Inside the cave, Su Hanxing clasped his hands in a respectful salute to Chi Qiu, his expression solemn.

Chi Qiu waved a dismissive hand, indicating her indifference. At this moment, she was clad in a black silk dress, her three-foot Azure Frost Sword hanging at her waist. Her blue hair was tied high, cascading down to her waist and giving her an air of valiant elegance.

She had long been prepared to enter the inner region of the Sishui Marsh. Now that Su Hanxing had recovered his strength, there was no room for delay.

“Let’s go, board the ship.”

Su Hanxing’s Jade Sand Skiff was completely destroyed, so Chi Qiu summoned her own flying magic treasure—a reward for reaching the top thirty-two on the Daqi Heavenly Pride Rankings during the martial arts tournament. Of course, Su Hanxing had also once possessed a similar vessel. However, this standard Daqi flying boat was merely a low-grade magic treasure, vastly inferior to his Jade Sand Skiff. Consequently, Su Hanxing had long since sold it to exchange for spiritual pills to aid his cultivation.

The black flying boat hovered outside the cave abode. Approximately three zhang long and seven chi wide, its lines were sharp and fluid.

“I’ll control the flying boat, and you navigate.” Chi Qiu stepped onto the vessel, her true qi extending from her feet and permeating the craft.

Su Hanxing nodded and boarded the flying boat as well. Unlike his Jade Sand Skiff, this standard vessel lacked any furniture like tables or chairs. The two of them stood side by side at the bow, with Su Hanxing guiding the way.

With a metallic clang, the flying boat slowly lifted off the ground and sped northward.

“We’re heading northwest. Judging by this boat’s speed… why is it so slow?” Su Hanxing stood at the bow, the summer breeze rustling his unbound hair. He pointed northwest, exuding youthful vigor, but the flying boat’s leisurely pace caused him to momentarily freeze.

“A low-grade magic treasure naturally can’t compare to your Jade Sand Skiff. This standard flying boat needs to accelerate gradually.” Chi Qiu shot Su Hanxing a sidelong glance, then increased the flow of true qi from her hands.

Seeing her demeanor, Su Hanxing chuckled, then added, “At this speed, it will still take about five hours to reach the inner region in the northwest of Sishui Marsh, where the Meng family is stationed. Once we enter the area guarded by them, we’ll head straight for their stronghold. The Meng family has deployed a formidable protective formation there. Unless we destroy that formation, it will be very difficult for us to strike at them.”

Su Hanxing’s expression turned fierce as he pulled out a map and handed it to Chi Qiu. She took the map and examined it; it depicted the territory guarded by the Meng family in extremely detailed fashion.

“This black dot marks the core of the grand formation, which is also the Meng family’s stronghold. The red dots indicate the sub-formations, nine in total. Once the grand formation’s core is breached, the sub-formations will fail. However, this protective formation is of an extremely high grade, making it difficult to assault directly. If we wish to destroy the core, we must bypass these nine sub-formations and reach this location.” Su Hanxing extended a finger, pointing to a high mountain on the map.

“The grand formation spans three hundred li, making it impossible for us to enter. We’ll need to employ long-range attacks from outside, first breaking its defenses, then destroying its core. This high mountain is about four hundred li from the formation, offering an unobstructed view of the core. When the time comes, I’ll draw my bow there. Just two arrows will be enough to shatter the formation. Then, we’ll storm the stronghold and eliminate all the Meng family cultivators.”

Su Hanxing had clearly planned this for a long time. “The Meng family hasn’t dispatched too many cultivators for this expedition. To my knowledge, there are four God Concealing stage cultivators and eight Heart Scripture Realm cultivators within the stronghold. Once we breach the grand formation, the four God Concealing stage cultivators are mine. Little Chi, you’ll need to hold off the remaining Heart Scripture Realm cultivators. Once I’ve eliminated those four, I’ll come to assist you.”

“For a major event like the Yinglong Tomb’s emergence, is this all the cultivators the Meng family sent?” Chi Qiu’s expression showed bewilderment. The family’s strength was lower than she had anticipated.

“Of course, it’s not just these. Each of the sub-formations is also guarded by God Concealing stage cultivators. We must proceed cautiously. The true backbone of the major clans will only arrive at Sishui Marsh once the tomb actually opens. These God Concealing stage cultivators are merely for reconnaissance and reporting.”

Chi Qiu understood, focusing solely on controlling the flying boat. Given their combined strength, the outer regions of Sishui Marsh were relatively safe. She made no attempt to conceal their movements, accelerating the boat to its maximum speed.

Under Chi Qiu’s skillful control, the two arrived at the inner region of Sishui Marsh an hour ahead of schedule. Although the great demonic beasts of this area had been summoned to the core region, there was an increased presence of patrolling Meng family members. Consequently, Chi Qiu drastically reduced their speed, descending until the boat moved gently at a height of just over ten zhang above the ground.

“About twenty li ahead, there’s a patrolling Meng family cultivator. Little Chi, draw a bit closer so I can investigate.” Su Hanxing’s expression subtly shifted as he spoke.

Chi Qiu was surprised. She immediately urged the flying boat forward and asked, “How do you detect others’ cultivation levels?”

“It’s merely a minor trick. Let me see… Ah, it’s a Heart Scripture Realm cultivator. Little Chi, continue on your way; I’ll be back shortly.” Su Hanxing offered a slight smile. Then his expression turned cold. With a wave of his hand, a grand spear materialized in his grasp.

The spear was over a zhang long and as thick as Chi Qiu’s arm, its tip glinting with cold light. Next, a starry glow flashed beneath his feet, and he vanished instantly using his Starfall Step. In less than a moment, he reappeared in his original spot. Chi Qiu only felt a faint breeze sweep past, and a scent of blood now hung in the air. She noticed specks of blood still clinging to the spear’s tip. It seemed that in the past half-year, Su Hanxing had made immense progress in his movement divine abilities.

“Here, take this. Maybe there’s something good inside.” Su Hanxing put away his grand spear and tossed a bracelet to Chi Qiu.

It was a storage magic treasure. Chi Qiu prepared to put it on her wrist, only to find that the opening was too large. Since she was piloting the boat, she couldn’t spare the true qi to refine it yet, so she returned it to him.

“Thank you. Please hold onto it for me for now.”

“Between us, there’s no need for thanks.” Su Hanxing chuckled, watching her small gestures, and put the bracelet on his own hand.

“Ahead is the high mountain from the map. I’ll go scout ahead to see if any Meng family cultivators are guarding it.” After winding through the territory for several hours, they finally spotted their destination. Su Hanxing once again summoned his grand spear, jumped off the flying boat, and headed straight for the mountain.