Star Martial Soaring Cloud

On the eve of their parting, Wang Xiao specifically sought out Xiao He, Yuan Kong, and Ling Cheng.

He didn't say much, only suggesting that they shouldn't be reckless.

If anything goes wrong, you can send a distress signal directly.

Although their group had four Dragon Gate Divine Realm cultivators, they also had five Fish Leap Realm cultivators.

Too many people have already sacrificed themselves; no one wants any more to be sacrificed. It would be best if the remaining people could all return safely to Kyushu.

Now that they are stronger, they have an obligation to bring everyone back safely.

The current grouping is indeed perfectly appropriate.

Apart from Wang Xiao and Yuan Kong, everyone else had fellow disciples with them.

Fellow disciples should definitely stay together; this sense of security and familiarity is something that no one else can replace.

When Ling Cheng broke through his cultivation level, Li Yu and Zhang Lian were more excited than anyone else; Zhao Shuheng was also the first to notice Xiao He's unusual breakthrough.

Wang Xiao's group of three are all at the Dragon Gate Divine Realm. They can not only serve as vanguards, but also possess extremely high mobility and can provide support at any time.

"I'll leave you here." Wang Xiao stopped and glanced at the faces of Xiao He, Yuan Kong, and Ling Cheng.

Xiao He nodded without saying a word.

Yuan Kong put his hands together and chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Amitabha, Benefactor Lu, rest assured, this monk can be absolutely relied upon in critical moments."

"Brother Lu Yang, if you don't trust them, don't you trust your big brother me? Don't worry, I'll definitely protect your girl!" Ling Cheng whispered in Wang Xiao's ear. The next moment, he was punched away by Wang Xiao, who was yelling, "But you'll have to pay more!"

"Goodbye."

The group bid each other farewell and then embarked on their respective journeys.

Wang Xiao and his two companions sped eastward toward the miasma wall.

Between the outer and middle domains of the Demon Island lies a deadly barrier—the Miasma Wall.

Several days later, standing in front of it again, Wang Xiao still felt breathless.

The gray-black mist rose from the ground, churning and surging, eventually converging into a hundred-foot-high wall of mist that swallowed up all the colors in the world.

The surface of the fog wall is not static, but constantly changing—sometimes like boiling magma, bubbling with huge bubbles; sometimes like the sea before a tsunami, silently rising and collapsing; and sometimes like thousands of venomous snakes coiling and biting each other, emitting a faint but chilling hissing sound.

That chilling sense of oppression still lingers, but it's different now than before.

In the past, they could only look up, only fear, and only take detours.

And now, they have reached the Dragon Gate Divine Realm.

This wall of miasma was no longer an insurmountable barrier for them.

"Go." Wang Xiao shouted, and the three of them simultaneously rose from the ground, stepping into the void and soaring straight into the sky.

Leaping above the miasma wall, beneath my feet was a surging sea of ​​gray-black fog, and above my head was a hazy gray sky.

As the saying goes, the higher you stand, the farther you can see.

Standing above the miasma wall, Wang Xiao had expected to have a panoramic view of the central region of the Demon Island, but all he could see was a blur, and he couldn't make anything out clearly.

That confusion was neither fog nor smoke, but an indescribable chaos, as if some being firmly shrouded the Central Region, blocking all prying eyes.

Wang Xiao and his group had no worries, because someone had already entered the Central Region before them.

"For us cultivators, as long as our cultivation level increases, many problems will no longer be problems," Wang Xiao said, looking at the miasma wall beneath his feet. "So, increasing one's cultivation level can solve all worries."

The predicament that was previously impossible to break through with all means can now be easily resolved, which inevitably evokes a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi - mixed feelings of感慨, a complex emotion encompassing both感慨 and a sense of感慨).

Yan Zixi's voice came from behind, tinged with a hint of languor: "I just wonder if improving one's cultivation level will solve the chicken-and-egg problem? This question has been debated for thousands of years and remains unresolved. Sister Qinhe, what do you think, which came first, the chicken or the egg?"

"Huh?" Yan Zixi suddenly asked about this, catching Su Qinhe off guard. After a moment of hesitation, she replied softly, "Why did you suddenly ask this, Sister Yan? Well... I can't really explain it either."

"It's nothing, I just suddenly thought of it," Yan Zixi said with a smile, but her gaze seemed to drift towards Wang Xiao in front of her.

Wang Xiao stumbled in mid-air and nearly fell.

He steadied himself and met Yan Zixi's wicked smile.

She did it on purpose! She definitely did it on purpose! Wang Xiao sighed inwardly.

How did she know about this?

That shouldn't be the case; he clearly checked that no one was around.

Does she have the supernatural ability to hear everything?

But she hadn't even broken through to the next realm yet! Where did the Fish Leap cultivator get his supernatural abilities?

"Lu Yang, what's wrong?" Su Qinhe asked with concern.

"It's nothing," Wang Xiao said calmly. "I was so engrossed in thinking about something that I didn't notice for a moment."

"I wonder if he's really thinking about a problem, or just thinking about someone?" Yan Zixi added casually from the side.

Wang Xiao took a deep breath, turned to look at Yan Zixi, and smiled slightly: "Miss Yan guessed correctly. I was indeed thinking of someone, and it was none other than you, Miss Yan. I've heard that Miss Yan has mastered the divine power of thunder magic, which can exorcise all evil. I was just wondering if throwing Miss Yan down there would be able to dispel this ghostly mist below."

"You—" Yan Zixi choked for a moment, her smile freezing on her face.

Su Qinhe couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Be careful!"

Wang Xiao's expression suddenly changed, and he shouted sharply.

The miasma wall seemed to come alive.

The surging gray-black mist, as if stirred by an invisible giant hand, suddenly began to churn violently.

Thick plumes of black smoke rose from the sea of ​​mist, twisting, deforming, and coalescing in mid-air, transforming into various ferocious shapes—there were black dragons baring their fangs and claws, giant pythons flicking their tongues, incomparably sharp spears, giant swords capable of cutting through everything, and long sabers gleaming with cold light…

Countless weapons and ferocious beasts formed from miasma rushed towards the three of them like a tidal wave!

The three reacted extremely quickly, each instantly unleashing their unique abilities to meet the attack.

Yan Zixi was the first to make a move.

Four different spiritual flowers suddenly appeared around her, slowly rotating around her body.

Each flower exudes a distinct radiance and aura—one is fiery red, intense and scorching; one is azure blue, rippling gently; one is earthy yellow, solid and steady; and one is purple lightning, crackling and thundering.

Fire, water, earth, and thunder—four elements, four supernatural powers—were fused into four spiritual flowers, creating a breathtakingly beautiful display that concealed deadly intent.

Yan Zixi's cultivation technique is called the Four Symbols Flower Spirit. She perfectly integrates the four elements of divine power, combining offense and defense, and making it infinitely versatile.

She raised her hand and waved it, and the purple lightning flower suddenly bloomed. A thick bolt of lightning shot out from the flower's core, transforming into a lightning dragon that crashed into the miasma black dragon that was rushing towards it!

"boom--!"

Lightning exploded, purple arcs of electricity scattered everywhere, and the black dragon of miasma was struck head-on by the lightning dragon, letting out a mournful roar. Black smoke scattered everywhere, and it was shattered by a single blow!

Lightning-based divine abilities have always been known as the "King of Attacks".

Its explosive power and destructive force are unparalleled among the eight elements of heaven and earth.

Yan Zixi's lightning magic was even more fierce and domineering. Each bolt of lightning carried the power to destroy everything in its path. Monsters formed from miasma crumbled upon contact with them and could not get close at all.

Su Qinhe was not to be outdone.

She took out a pure white jade flute, held it to her lips, and began to play it gently.

The flute's melody was melodious, like a clear spring flowing or a mountain breeze rustling through a pine forest; it was crisp and pleasant to the ear, yet it concealed a deadly intent.

Every note that flowed from the flute hole transformed into a sharp attack—some notes became a lightsaber, slashing at the onrushing miasma serpent; some notes became a wooden spike, piercing through the long spear formed by the miasma; and some notes became a wave of water, shattering all the miasma blades that attacked.

She cultivated three supernatural powers: light, wood, and water. Using the sound of the flute as a medium, she transformed the intangible into the tangible, and her supernatural powers blossomed in the sound of the flute.

With each change of attack, the color of the jade flute beneath her lips would also change—the verdant green of wood, the indigo blue of water, the shimmering brilliance of light…

The notes echoed and coordinated with each other, weaving a dense and impenetrable attack net.

When a miasma monster broke through the sound network and attacked at close range, Su Qinhe's movements displayed astonishing agility.

Her figure flickered, drifted, and spun in the void, sometimes clear, sometimes ethereal, like a reflection in water or a flower in a mirror.

The attacks of those miasma monsters always missed by just a little bit—they would clearly touch the hem of her clothes, but then they would miss as if passing through thin air.

This is a movement enhancement brought about by the light-based divine power, named Flowing Light Illusion.

Among the eight elements of heaven and earth, the light element often represents the pinnacle of movement techniques and the ultimate speed.

Every dodge she made was perfectly timed, without wasting a single ounce of energy or moving an inch too far.

This kind of movement technique is comparable to Wang Xiao's Seven Star Rain Steps.

The flute music was melodious, and her figure was graceful.

Su Qinhe's fighting was like a feast for the eyes and ears, making people almost forget that this was a battlefield of life and death.

Wang Xiao didn't have as many fancy tricks as them.

He only had two fists.

But these fists are more direct and domineering than any supernatural power.

With a single punch, the wind howled, shattering a giant python of miasma that lunged at him; with another sweeping punch, he shattered several longswords formed from condensed miasma into black smoke.

Wherever his fist passed, the miasma monsters all crumbled, unable to withstand the power of his punch.

The problem is that, in addition to the weapons and ferocious beasts formed from the miasma, three enormous black shadows have also risen from the miasma wall.

The three dark shadows were more solid and larger than the previous monsters, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.

They slowly rose from the miasma, shrouded in an impenetrable black fog, obscuring their true forms. One could only vaguely discern something wriggling and twisting within it.

Three dark figures rushed towards the three of them, engaging in a fierce battle with Wang Xiao, Su Qinhe, and Yan Zixi.

The largest of the dark figures Wang Xiao was facing was the one that was the largest.

It resembles a giant, several meters tall, with swirling black mist around it. Every swing of its arm is accompanied by a dense miasma that is extremely corrosive.

Wang Xiao punched it in the chest, the force of the punch shattering a large patch of black mist and revealing its true form beneath—

skeleton.

A skeleton as white as jade.

The skeleton was entirely white, as if it were carved from the finest mutton-fat jade, and stood out starkly against the gray-black miasma.

It was covered in a set of mottled armor, which was rusted and incomplete, but one could still vaguely glimpse its majestic appearance in its heyday.

Wang Xiao's heart sank suddenly.

He recalled that he had conducted an experiment with stones outside the miasma wall—hard stones thrown into the miasma were corroded into blackish-gray powder in just a few breaths.

Yet this skeleton, having been immersed in miasma for countless years, remains as white as snow and spotless.

The most terrifying thing is that something that should have happened didn't happen.

How is that possible?

What level of cultivation did this skeleton possess in its lifetime?

Since their cultivation level is so extraordinary, why have they become puppets of this miasma?

What secrets are hidden within this miasma?

Or perhaps, something is secretly manipulating all of this?

Before Wang Xiao could think any further, the skeletal giant pounced on him again.

Although its movements were slow, each strike carried immense force. The skeleton beneath its armor creaked and groaned as it moved, as if it might fall apart at any moment, yet it was astonishingly sturdy.

Wang Xiao took a deep breath and stopped holding back.

He pushed his physical strength to the limit and punched the skeletal giant in the chest. The force of the punch was like a volcanic eruption, sending the skeleton and its armor flying backward and crashing heavily into the wall of miasma below!

"boom--!"

The skeletal giant plunged into the sea of ​​fog, kicking up plumes of black smoke.

Just as it was falling, Wang Xiao vaguely saw a pair of eyes.

Those eyes, hidden deep within the hollow eye sockets of that skeleton, were as black as ink and as deep as an abyss, staring intently at him.

That gaze was cold and eerie, carrying an inexplicable malice, as if it came from the deepest hell, sending chills down one's spine.

Wang Xiao subconsciously tried to see clearly, but those eyes disappeared in an instant.

No, it didn't disappear—it split apart.

Countless identical eyes burst forth from the fallen skeleton, densely packed and overwhelming, like fireflies dancing in the sky. But the light was not a warm, bright color; instead, it was a cold, deathly inky black.

Wang Xiao's hair stood on end instantly.

"Go!" he shouted sternly.

Su Qinhe and Yan Zixi also sensed something was wrong. They forced back the miasma monsters in front of them and flashed towards Wang Xiao.

The three stood side by side, channeling their full energy into three streaks of light, rushing toward the other side of the miasma wall!

The miasma monsters pursued them relentlessly, and countless weapons, ferocious beasts, and skeletons formed from miasma surged forward like a tide.

But they were ultimately a step too late.

The three of them broke through the wall of miasma.

Behind them, the churning miasma suddenly quieted down, as if an invisible hand had choked it.

The pursuing monsters, the eerie eyes, and the overwhelming black smoke all vanished in an instant, as if they had never existed.

The wall of miasma still stood there, churning and spewing forth.

Everything felt like an absurd dream.

The three exchanged a glance, and each saw seriousness in the other's eyes.

The miasma wall was far more bizarre than they had imagined.

Those skeletons, those eyes, those countless pairs of cold gazes—that was definitely not naturally occurring miasma, but something controlling everything.

But none of that matters anymore.

Because the Central Region of the Demon Island has finally revealed its true form to them.