The Five Ghosts Blood Escape Technique allowed Jiang Yuebai to escape a thousand miles away. This escape technique covers the greatest distance among all the techniques she mastered, but it requires time to activate and uses her essence blood as a medium, harnessing the power of the Five Ghosts to initiate—truly troublesome.

She hadn’t achieved a Small Success Realm with the Smoke Escape yet, and in her current situation, even using the Smoke Escape wouldn’t guarantee her an escape.

Fortunately, she didn’t dismiss the Five Ghosts Scripture as an Evil Dao Method, and had been practicing it intermittently over these years.

Jiang Yuebai’s figure flashed out mid-air but was immediately seized by a tremendous force pulling her downward.

The Taihe Umbrella instantly transformed into an Immortal Crane, catching Jiang Yuebai and barely hovering above the roaring sea.

The downpour was torrential, and the icy, salty sea water stung her face. Facing the massive whirlpool, Jiang Yuebai seemed like a mere drop in the ocean, entirely insignificant.

Above her, black clouds swirled, thunder roared, deafening in its fury, while below, waves surged violently—all the sea water converging toward a whirlpool several miles away, along with countless fierce beasts and fish, swept along towards the Dragon Palace gate.

Jiang Yuebai swallowed two elixirs to accelerate the recovery of her internal and external injuries, as well as her Spiritual Energy. Unable to fly, she could only skim over the sea’s surface racing towards the whirlpool miles away.

Roar!!

Suddenly, a beast’s roar echoed, and a massive dark figure surged from beneath the sea, opening its bloody maw wide, attempting to bite Jiang Yuebai.

Jiang Yuebai’s expression grew tense as she urgently maneuvered the Immortal Crane to dodge. Having just evaded the gigantic beast, many more terrifying-looking strange fish leaped up from below, all aiming at her.

The Little Ganoderma on Jiang Yuebai’s head trembled, abruptly making her realize that her Orchid Hairpin was destroyed, and now she bore the scent of Cloud Mushroom Grass—what sea creature wouldn’t be dazed by it? 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

As she raced, Jiang Yuebai frantically searched through her ring for the hairpin that concealed Demon Energy but couldn’t find it before the seawater ahead suddenly surged back on her, forcing her to dodge and barely avoiding a collision.

A palm-sized Flying Shuttle flew past Jiang Yuebai’s side, with Ning Zhiyuan leaping from it, along with a sickly-looking Mu Linfeng. Gathering up the Flying Shuttle, Ning Zhiyuan coldly stared at her.

Upon his appearance, all surrounding sea creatures immediately scattered and fled.

"If you dare act, I’ll immediately self-destruct, leaving you with nothing!" Jiang Yuebai threatened loudly, biding time for herself.

"If you are willing to return with me to the Upper Realm, I can spare your life."

Mu Linfeng was shocked to hear this, turning his head to look at Ning Zhiyuan.

Jiang Yuebai sneered, her gaze sweeping over the Dragon Palace entrance not far behind them, "You’ve beaten me into this sorry state and still expect me to trust you?"

Expressionless, Ning Zhiyuan retorted, "The forces backing me far surpass your insignificant Heavenly Interence Sect. Your Five Spirits Body is exceptionally rare; siding with us and cultivating in the Upper Realm would be entirely beneficial to you. Knowing when to yield marks the wise, understand?"

Jiang Yuebai shifted her gaze thoughtfully, "The Upper Realm... is it truly better than here?"

"Of course."

"What about the forces backing you? Could they be mightier than our Heavenly Interence Sect? Our founder is an ascended immortal," Jiang Yuebai replied smugly.

Mu Linfeng was about to retort mockingly when Ning Zhiyuan glared at him.

Ning Zhiyuan coldly said, "Come back with me, and you’ll naturally find out."

Offering no leaks, Ning Zhiyuan kept any valuable information from Jiang Yuebai.

"I can’t bring myself to trust you, but I can’t defeat you either. At this juncture... how about I give you what you want, and in return, you spare me?"

As soon as the words fell, Jiang Yuebai summoned the Five-Colored Beads from her Dantian, the colorful radiance spilling from its cracks immediately illuminating the space, captivating.

The fleeing sea creatures once again erupted into frenzy, surging against the current toward her.

Seeing this, Mu Linfeng was delighted, "Heavenly Stone, it really is a Heavenly Stone!"

Ning Zhiyuan frowned, but before he could react, quick as a wind, Jiang Yuebai shot the Five-Colored Beads out.

The Five-Colored light intensified, dazzling the two into squinting.

When Ning Zhiyuan noticed the three Smoke Pills thrown along with the Five-Colored Beads, they had already explosively detonated.

Smoke Escape!

The Five-Colored Beads transformed into a stream of light, returning to Jiang Yuebai’s dantian. Using the Poisonous Miasma Laughing Spring Breeze, she swiftly broke through their encirclement, escaping five miles away, disappearing into the whirlpool.

"Hahaha, haha cough cough... so itchy hahaha..."

Ning Zhiyuan swept away the Miasma with his sleeve, while Mu Linfeng clutched Ning Zhiyuan’s sleeve laughing so hard his internal injury flared, blood spilling from the corners of his mouth.

Ning Zhiyuan couldn’t restrain a twitch at the corner of his mouth, a surge hit his throat, compelling him to laugh, and he began to itch all over.

"Uncle haha, it hurts haha, I can’t stop haha..."

Relying on sheer willpower, Ning Zhiyuan held back, squeezing out words through clenched teeth, "Hold it, don’t laugh!"

Mu Linfeng hurriedly covered his mouth but still couldn’t help but spit and giggle, worsening his internal injury and coughing blood.

"This miasma isn’t truly poisonous, endure a while and it will pass. That woman’s tricks are numerous, yet her body is highly useful to me, and the Heavenly Stone must not be relinquished. I’ll personally go down to catch her. You stay here and recuperate; wherever you are, do not cause trouble or let yourself be noticed before I return!"

"Puhhaha～uh!"

As Mu Linfeng covered his mouth, tears of laughter came streaming down, nodding vigorously, Ning Zhiyuan suppressed his fury and turned to rush into the whirlpool.

*

Deep within the Kunxu Sea Trench.

Zhao Fuyi led Li Shen Zhi, Muh Wushuang, Hek Shan, Fuyu, and Zilan—a total of six—to the inner entrance of the Dragon Palace.

Visiting the Dragon Palace for the first time, Muh Wushuang gazed in wonder at the surging undercurrent overhead. A school of brightly scaled little fish swam past her, circling overhead and nibbling at her red hair tie.

"Here we are in the sea, and above is yet another distinct sea—how is it divided so clearly?"

Hearing this question, Zhao Fuyi couldn’t help but think of Jiang Yuebai, wondering where she had run off to, worrying somewhat.

Ahead lay a fathomless sea trench; across it, the Glazed Crystal Palace was magnificently resplendent.

Zhao Fuyi was about to lead the group across when five female cultivators approached from not far away. The leader was a Late-Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator, adorned with Furong, followed by four others in the Late Mid-Stage Golden Core.

"Furong from the Feiyan Pavilion, greeting True Monarch Fuyi."

Besides the Pavilion Master, Furong ranked highest amongst the Twelve Flower Goddesses of Feiyan Pavilion. In Fang Ruyan’s absence from the North Sea, Furong temporarily assumed Feiyan Pavilion’s affairs.

Following mutual greetings, Furong explained her purpose, "The Heavenly Nine Palace and Three Elements Sect are forming an alliance to array for hunting the Water Python. By nature, the Dragon Clan love hoarding treasures."

"This Water Python has inhabited the Dragon Palace for a millennia, most areas within require Dragon Clan bloodline to access; this Water Python must have taken most treasures from the Dragon Palace. Thus, Furong hopes True Monarch Fuyi will lend assistance to capture this Water Python—dividing all treasures evenly afterward."

Upon hearing of treasures, Hek Shan, Zilan, and Fuyu remained composed; Li Shen Zhi and Muh Wushuang, however, let their eyes light up—their master’s presence being the only thing keeping them from boarding before Furong finished speaking.

Li Shen Zhi and Muh Wushuang looked at Zhao Fuyi, full of expectation and tension, who declined with a polite bow.

Furong urged, "True Monarch Fuyi need not worry so much; the Heavenly Nine Palace and Three Elements Sect’s strength hardly rivals Feiyan Pavilion’s. Also, the Pavilion Master injured that Water Python last time, its core is damaged, Divinity Transformation is hopeless. If True Monarch Fuyi assumes command of the Great Array, success is assured."

Zhao Fuyi continued to smile as he turned down the offer, "My purpose in coming to the Dragon Palace is to lead my disciples to witness the profound Arrays and Restrictions of the Dragon Clan. More valuable than any worldly object is this opportunity to comprehend them—a chance arising once every two hundred years."

In distress, Muh Wushuang scratched her head, while Li Shen Zhi sighed—this is their master, who views wealth as mere dirt. No treasure compares to the chance of advancing their Array Dao skill, though unfortunate, they respect their master for it.

Seeing this, Furong could only abandon her request and left first with her group.

*

Elsewhere, in a concealed spot outside the Dragon Palace.

Two Nascent Soul Cultivators from the Three Elements Sect and Heavenly Nine Palace led six Golden Core cultivators, discovering the Water Python’s lair ahead of time.

Without alerting the slumbering Water Python, the group stealthily arranged an ambush along the path it would inevitably take upon exiting.

Just as the Great Array neared completion, the Water Python in the cavern snorted two streams of white vapor, its eyes suddenly opening wide.

Boom!

With a ground-shaking step and mighty dragon head raised high, its whiskers floating in the water, exuding grandeur and power.

For reasons unknown, the Water Python’s eyes gleamed intensely, suddenly soaring from its cave, crashing through several people outside in its flight, vanishing swiftly.