Chapter 127: Return to the Abyss

As Gu Qingshi sobbed, a cold, indifferent female voice suddenly echoed over the dense forest: "Little Stone?"

"Wuu—" Gu Qingshi’s sobbing ceased instantly. He did not respond at once, but instead looked up with a vigilant gaze. The deception he had suffered at the hands of Chu Xingyun and Xin Niang had left its mark on him. Having tasted the malice of the human heart, the young boy was no longer willing to trust others easily.

A girl in green robes descended from the sky and arrived beside him. "Little Stone, I am your fourth cousin."

With that, she reached out and pulled Gu Qingshi onto the flying sword beneath her feet. "Stand steady!"

Recognizing Gu Weilan and hearing she was a cousin from the Gu family, Gu Qingshi obediently stood firm on the sword. As it carried them slowly into the high air, the night wind brushed against his face and body, causing him to shiver and instinctively wrap his arms around himself.

Noticing that Gu Qingshi was merely a mortal, Gu Weilan conjured a protective barrier to shield him from the chill. Only then did he feel his body warm up again. He looked around, mesmerized; the stars in the sky seemed so close that he felt he could reach out and pluck them.

Was this the wonder of the cultivators, soaring through the heavens and earth? He had sat on paper cranes before, and just moments ago, he had been carried on a magical flight instrument, but standing on this sword, a deep sense of envy stirred in his heart. Alas, he had no spiritual roots and could not cultivate; he was destined to be a mortal for the rest of his life.

"Where are they?" A voice as cold as ice and jade suddenly rang out.

Gu Qingshi snapped out of his trance and saw that the big brother—no, not his tenth uncle-in-law!—who had been fighting the villain was hovering on a sword not far away.

"They likely headed toward Anlin County," Gu Weilan said, pointing south. "I am taking Little Stone back to the city first."

"Understood." Xu Weizhou nodded faintly, watching as Gu Weilan flew toward the city of Qin.

Elsewhere, Gu Weiyu sensed that Little Stone had fallen safely into the trees and finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, can you tell me now?" Chu Xingyun’s gaze burned as it fell upon Gu Weiyu.

"I hid the item in the Sea of Monsters." With her worries for the boy gone, Gu Weiyu felt a sense of calm and spoke with a detached tone.

"The Sea of Monsters?" At this, both Chu Xingyun and Xin Niang’s expressions shifted. Although they were from the Upper Realm, they had stayed in the Wukong Realm long enough to have heard of the Sea of Monsters. It was not a place one could trespass upon lightly.

They had passed by Danyang before, but had never ventured deep into the Sea of Monsters. This girl was bold indeed—a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet daring to venture into the Sea of Monsters alone!

"Little girl, are you playing games with me?" Chu Xingyun stepped forward, his finger hooking Gu Weiyu’s chin with a light, provocative touch. "If I find out you are lying to me..."

Gu Weiyu flinched as if frightened. "It’s not like that! I really did hide the pill formula there!"

Chu Xingyun stared at her deeply, as if weighing the truth of her words. Xin Niang pulled him back. "Lord Yun, since we have the person right here, what are you afraid of? The pill formula won't fly away."

Chu Xingyun realized she was right. He sat back down on his folding fan, pulling out a medicinal pill to consume and soothe his chaotic spiritual energy.

"Little Eleven, where exactly did you hide the pill formula?"

Perhaps out of consideration for Chu Xingyun's injuries, the folding fan did not fly very fast. Even so, after half an hour, they crossed Anlin County and reached the border of the Sea of Monsters.

"I... I hid the pill formula in a place at the bottom of an abyss in the Sea of Monsters," Gu Weiyu stammered.

"You—" Hearing this, Chu Xingyun’s eyes snapped open and he glared at her. He deeply suspected that this girl was doing it on purpose! The spiritual energy in his body, which had been settling, flared into chaos again from pure frustration. He took a deep breath, unable to afford further anger, and poured all his focus back into stabilizing his energy.

Xin Niang glanced at Gu Weiyu with an inscrutable expression, then turned to look at Chu Xingyun, lost in thought.

An incense stick of time later, Chu Xingyun opened his eyes again. Xin Niang asked, "Lord Yun, shall we still go..."

"Go!" Chu Xingyun gritted his teeth. The arrow was already on the string; he had no choice. They were already at the Sea of Monsters, and he could no longer endure the humiliation of being a Golden Core cultivator who couldn't even wield a tenth of his true strength.

Xin Niang steered the fan into the Sea of Monsters. After traveling about a hundred miles, they descended from the clouds into the forest below. The place was extremely dangerous, and even though they hadn't reached the heart of it, neither dared to be reckless.

"You mean to tell me you don't even know where you hid it, only that it's in an abyss somewhere to the south?" Chu Xingyun felt his chest tighten again. This girl was truly going to be the death of him!

"I encountered a third-rank monster at the time. I was so focused on escaping that I lost my way in my panic..." Gu Weiyu said, mixing truth with lies. The story wasn't entirely fabricated, so she spoke with a smooth, natural flow.

The sea of forest was vast and boundless. The three of them looked like tiny ants amidst the towering, ancient trees. Chu Xingyun walked in the lead, while Xin Niang kept a tight grip on Gu Weiyu's right hand as they moved together.

Three days later, they finally arrived at the abyss.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Standing over the southern edge of the abyss, Chu Xingyun had to ask again.

Gu Weiyu nodded vigorously, pointing at a giant tree beside the chasm. "Yes, this is it! I remember clearly. When I climbed out, I even carved a small mark on that tree!"

Chu Xingyun walked over to the tree, half-doubting, and indeed found a newly carved character "Gu" on the trunk. The marks were fresh, clearly carved only a few days ago. He and Xin Niang exchanged a look. "We go down together!"

The space above the abyss was restricted; even Golden Core cultivators had to climb down and traverse it on foot. Was this cunning girl counting on this when she hid the pill formula here? One had to admit, the power of one's own imagination was infinite.

Xin Niang climbed down first, followed by Gu Weiyu, with Chu Xingyun bringing up the rear. As before, Gu Weiyu activated a web of lightning around her. Seeing this, Xin Niang and Chu Xingyun followed suit, each activating their own defensive barriers.

From time to time, miniature monsters would pounce from the cliff walls toward them. Fortunately, protected by their barriers, the creatures were like moths to a flame, unable to cause any harm. The descent was smooth, and all three arrived safely at the bottom of the abyss.

"This fog is very strange!"