Star Martial Soaring Cloud

Where did the Seven Star Sword go?

It couldn't have been Zhou Qian and his group who took it.

Murder and robbery go hand in hand; how can you steal treasure and then save people?

The Seven Star Sword is entirely black and has an unremarkable appearance; no one would associate it with the word "treasure."

Did it fall into the sea?

Wang Xiao tried hard to recall the scene at that time.

At that moment, he was dragged into the void.

If the physical body faces the spatial tunnel directly, at best it will be shattered to pieces, at worst it will be completely destroyed.

But he had no choice; staying meant certain death.

A void storm swept in, followed by the collapse of space. Silent annihilation power surged from all directions, enveloping him completely.

At that moment, he couldn't even feel the pain.

It's not that there's no pain, but rather that the extreme pain has rendered the body numb.

Just then, the Seven Star Sword suddenly lit up.

A warm yet powerful force surged from the sword, enveloping his entire body.

This power was no ordinary primordial energy; rather, it resembled a deeper, more fundamental force of the Great Dao, like an unparalleled divine soul that had slumbered for countless ages slowly opening its eyes in the endless darkness.

The raging void storms were kept at bay.

The spatial turbulence crashed violently against the protective light barrier, like waves hitting a reef, instantly dissipating and annihilating.

Wang Xiao was enveloped in the light curtain, tumbling and falling into nothingness.

I don't know how long I drifted, but I felt dizzy and my consciousness gradually became blurred.

Finally, an immense force violently flung him out from the depths of the void.

The sky was a hazy gray, the sea was as black as ink, and the sea breeze carried a strong, salty smell.

He plunged headfirst into the icy, bone-chilling seawater, his consciousness plunging into complete darkness.

The Seven Star Sword that had always protected him did not come out with him.

It remained at the exit of the void tunnel, as if it were firmly stuck by some invisible force, or as if it was willingly staying there.

The sword's blade flickered in the dark void, its light eventually fading completely before being swallowed up by the boundless spatial turbulence.

"It's been lost in the void..."

Wang Xiao pieced together the hazy, fragmented memories in his mind and couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile.

What kind of nonsense is this?

He sighed softly, putting aside these worries for the time being.

The most important thing right now is to focus on recovering from the injury.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Wang Xiao is now able to get out of bed and walk around, but his cultivation has not yet recovered, and he is no different from an ordinary mortal.

The sea of ​​primordial energy that has solidified within the body will take about a day to completely dissolve.

Once the Sea of ​​Vital Energy is restored, the subsequent repair of the physical body and strength will proceed much more smoothly.

Jianmu needs the nourishment of the primordial energy of heaven and earth, and withered trees rely on Jianmu for revival. Each link is interconnected and cannot be rushed.

On this day, we were fortunate to have a clear and sunny day.

Wang Xiao stepped out of the room, stood in the courtyard, and took a deep breath of the salty, fishy air carried by the sea breeze.

The warm sunshine fell on my body, dispelling the chill that had accumulated in my body over the past few days.

Zhou Qian was not in the courtyard; it was unknown where he had gone.

In the vast courtyard, only Xie An remained.

To be precise, only Xie An's physical body remains here; his mind is completely immersed in the wooden plaque in his hand, which is engraved with mysterious patterns.

Wang Xiao watched him quietly for nearly half an hour, and he was completely unaware.

Xie An's gaze never left the wooden plaque from beginning to end.

He would sometimes furrow his brow in deep thought, sometimes raise the corners of his lips slightly, and sometimes mutter to himself in a low voice...

If it weren't for his eyes still blinking slightly, Wang Xiao would almost have thought he was a clay statue.

"I don't understand it at all."

Wang Xiao stared at the crisscrossing patterns on the wooden sign for a long time, and only one thought remained in his mind.

The lines were intricate and intertwined, like an ancient painting that had been crumpled up and then pieced back together. Every line had a hidden meaning, but he just couldn't understand it at all.

Interlaced like mountains.

The art of formations is truly too profound and mysterious.

Back on the Demon Island, among the many disciples of aristocratic families, only Wuchen knew how to form formations.

After a series of battles against the Tianyi Sect and the Fusang forces, didn't everyone want to use formations to defend against the enemy?

It's not that I don't want to, it's that I simply don't know how.

For them, formations were a completely new field.

From initial comprehension to mastery, it requires a tremendous amount of time and countless trials and deductions.

"Brother Lu, I'm here!" Erdan's clear voice rang out even before he arrived.

His voice was clear and bright, full of energy and vitality, and brimming with undisguised joy.

"Brother Lu, guess what good stuff I brought you this time?"

These past few days, Erdan, worried that Wang Xiao would be bored while lying in bed, has been trying to bring him all sorts of little surprises.

One moment she'd bring over a live sea fish, insisting it would nourish him; the next she'd pluck a few crabs and shrimp from the crevices of the rocks with her bare hands, proudly showing off her catch; then she'd bring over a few colorful seashells, saying they looked nice on her bedside table.

This pure and sincere sentiment is more precious than any treasure.

"Brother Xie, you're here too!"

Erdan dashed into the courtyard and greeted Xie An warmly.

"Good morning, Erdan!"

It was already noon, but Xie An said good morning.

Erdan didn't care at all, clearly having gotten used to "Brother Zhen's" obsession.

Xie An usually devoted himself to studying formations and was a man of few words, so his relationship with Erdan was naturally much more distant than with Zhou Qian.

On the contrary, Wang Xiao, who is handsome, gentle and good at telling stories, has become Erdan's closest person these days.

In Erdan's mind, Brother Lu must be well-read.

The ancient legends of dragons and phoenixes that he told were even more vivid and captivating than those told by a schoolteacher.

Even with his wildly imaginative ideas, Brother Lu could always give him an explanation that convinced him.

Little did Erdan know that his respected Brother Lu had never spent a single day in school in his entire life.

According to the rules of the academy, he was a complete illiterate.

"Wow, what a beautiful little bird!"

Wang Xiao noticed that Erdan was holding a birdcage with a pale blue bird inside. She exclaimed in genuine admiration, "You're incredibly skilled! Where did you catch that?"

Upon receiving such praise from Wang Xiao, Erdan immediately straightened his back and his little mouth pouted with pride.

He rubbed his nose with his thumb, a proud look on his face: "Of course! I want to become a master like Brother Zhou Qian someday!"

The dreams in a young person's heart are always so beautiful and so pure.

No reason is needed, no weighing of options is required, only a burning heart is needed.

"Well done! You're destined to be a great hero, a truly remarkable person!" Wang Xiao joked with a smile. "I can already see it all!"

"Brother Lu Yang, I'm going to Old Chen's house to learn to read first, I'll come see you after school! Here's some corn for you to keep you entertained!"

Erdan carefully handed the birdcage to Wang Xiao and then ran out of the yard.

After running a few steps, she turned back and called out to Xie An, "Brother Xie, I'm going now!"

Wang Xiao looked down at the little bird in the birdcage in his palm. The little guy tilted its head and stared at him with its round eyes, not afraid of strangers at all.

"So your name is Little Baogu," Wang Xiao whispered. "Looking forward to seeing you in the future."

Xie An then came to his senses, noticed Wang Xiao standing in the courtyard, looked up and smiled gently as a greeting, then lowered his head again and immersed himself in the array patterns.

After spending the last few days together, Wang Xiao had a general idea of ​​their current situation.

He is now on Dongji Island, a remote island not far from Yuhang.

Occasionally, merchant ships would stop by, bringing daily necessities, which was the happiest time for the island's inhabitants.

A gang of pirates has been entrenched in the waters near Dongji Island for ten years. It is said that they came from the depths of the East China Sea and have been causing havoc in the area.

Zhou Qian and Xie An came here specifically to deal with this group of pirates.

"We want to save some travel money to go to the capital in March." When Zhou Qian talked about this, a rare look of longing appeared in his eyes. "The main purpose is to send Xie An to study at Jingwei Dao Academy."

Jingwei Taoist Academy can be considered the leader in the field of array formations in the Nine Provinces.

If the essence of all formations in the world were divided into one, Jingwei Academy would possess nine-tenths of it.

From massive protective formations for the nation and cities to smaller sect secret realm restrictions and cultivator cave barriers, most of them are maintained, deduced, and upgraded by the Jingwei Dao Academy.

It is no exaggeration to say that without the Jingwei Academy, the level of formations in Kyushu would have regressed by at least five hundred years.

The Taoist academy holds its enrollment ceremony every March and September, regardless of family background or cultivation level, and only determines admission based on talent in formations.

Anyone who passes the assessment, whether from a noble family or a poor orphan, can enter the academy to immerse themselves in the art of array formations.

Those who are proficient in formations are also respectfully called masters of formations.

Wang Xiao had very little knowledge of formations, but after listening to Xie An's casual conversations for days, he gradually came to understand the hardships and difficulties of this profession.

Whenever the topic of battle formations came up, Xie An would speak at length, his eyes filled with fervor.

The study of formations, compared to the arduous training of cultivators, places more emphasis on talent and temperament, and also consumes more time.

Selecting array stones, outlining array patterns, operating the array...

Every step is intricate and meticulous, allowing no room for error.

If you are not careful, all your previous efforts will be in vain.

Those whose minds cannot remain calm for long will find it difficult to embark on this path.

"A single formation often takes a master geomancer several years, or even a lifetime, to complete," Xie An said calmly, as if he had long been prepared to dedicate his life to studying formations.

Fortunately, with the Jingwei Dao Academy now overseeing the entire country, tens of thousands of disciples are working together to greatly accelerate the deduction and generation of formations.

Even if one person were to exhaust all their cultivation, they might not be able to build a medium-sized city-protecting formation.

"Therefore, most ordinary cultivators who want to use formations can only buy ready-made formation plates or have them custom-made by a sorcerer," Zhou Qian added from the side. "The standard formations circulating in the market are irreversible once activated. Even if the sorcerer who set up the formation is present, he is powerless to change it. These formations belong to the Jingwei Dao Academy to protect the rights of cultivators from infringement."

"It's different if you have it custom-made. The sorcerer will explain the principles of the formation in detail, and the person who commissioned it can also find multiple sorcerers to work together to set up the formation. This ensures the power of the formation, keeps the secrets confidential, and is safe and secure."

"That's why buying ready-made array plates is very expensive, and having them custom-made is even more expensive." Zhou Qian smiled bitterly, "We poor镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) who travel the world can hardly afford even the cheapest protective array plates."

"We've heard that this group of pirates might possess the Immortal Epiphyllum." Xie An finally looked up from the wooden plaque, a rare eagerness appearing in his eyes. "If that's true, obtaining the Immortal Epiphyllum would allow us to break through to a higher realm, and it would also allow Zhou Qian to try participating in the Jixia Academy's assessment."

Epiphyllum oxypetalum!

Upon hearing these three words, Wang Xiao's heart stirred slightly, and he asked, "You two have considerable cultivation, why didn't you go to Demon Island to try your luck back then?"

He could see that Zhou Qian and Xie An both had extremely solid foundations in cultivation, especially Zhou Qian, who could even put up a fight against him, who was at the peak of the Fish Leap Realm. Many cultivators who entered the Demon Island were far weaker than the two of them.

What Wang Xiao feared even more was Zhou Qian's exceptionally sharp spiritual senses.

Previously, he had secretly absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and had almost been discovered by the other party several times.

This is enough to show that once this person breaks through to the Dragon Gate Divine Realm, his divine sense will be incomparably powerful.

He secretly speculated that Zhou Qian must have possessed extraordinary opportunities, otherwise such heaven-defying spiritual perception would be completely illogical.

In the world of martial arts, everyone has their secrets and their own opportunities; it's all too common.

"Do you think we don't want to go?" Zhou Qian shook his head and smiled bitterly, his brows full of helplessness. "There are simply no spots available. The qualifications for entering Demon Island have long been snapped up by the major sects and families. On the black market, a single spot can cost millions of taels of silver. Even if we sold ourselves, we couldn't raise that huge sum."

"Then why don't you join a sect and use their quota to go to the Demon Island?"

Zhou Qian paused slightly, a complex and indescribable expression flashing across his face.

He paused for a moment, as if recalling a past he didn't want to touch.

"I can't join a sect." His tone became lower and his expression was dejected. "I still have family to take care of, and besides, I'm used to being carefree and can't stand the constraints of sect rules, so I can only rely on myself to wander the world."

"It's alright." Xie An said in a deep voice, his tone calm yet firm. "Jixia Academy only considers strength, not background when admitting students. Once your cultivation reaches the Dragon Gate Divine Realm, you will definitely pass the assessment."

He looked down at the patterned wooden plaque in his hand and added, "So as long as these pirates have the Immortal Ephemeral Flower, I will definitely help you get it."

Wang Xiao nodded slightly and did not ask any further questions.

At this moment, he finally understood why the two were so determined to find that group of pirates, and why Xie An was so engrossed in formations all day long.

The fairy epiphyllum...

They may not have it, but they will.

Wang Xiao sighed inwardly and subconsciously glanced at the cellar contents, at the ephemeral epiphyllum flower that still emitted a faint, shimmering white light.

He had previously given most of the Epiphyllum flowers to Su Qinhe, but kept one for himself.

As for Erdan, he is a native of Dongji Island.

The reason he and Zhou Qian got together, besides being a coincidence, was also due to his sister.

"His sister was kidnapped by pirates?" Wang Xiao asked softly.

"I guess so." Zhou Qian gave a helpless, bitter smile.

"What do you mean by 'consider'?" Wang Xiao pressed.

Zhou Qian did not explain directly, but smiled faintly, with a hint of ambiguity in his smile: "You will know in time."

Night fell silently, and the stars and moon disappeared.

The three sat around in the courtyard. The food on the table was very simple: salted fish, pickled vegetables, and coarse grain rice.

Wang Xiao, however, ate with great relish.

Zhou Qian ate heartily, without any regard for formalities; Xie An, on the other hand, was slow and methodical, with a gentle demeanor.

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the courtyard.

Zhou Qian and Xie An exchanged a glance, both looking somewhat helpless, and then put down their bowls and chopsticks.

"I told you to study hard and not learn that nonsense!"

A sharp, sarcastic female voice suddenly exploded out, hoarse and strained, almost lifting the roof off.

There was no room for discussion or reasoning in his tone; only tyrannical commands and suppression remained.

"I'm going to learn martial arts!" Erdan's voice rang out, devoid of its usual liveliness and cheerfulness, filled with a child's stubbornness and indignation. "I'm going to rescue my sister!"

"Your sister is none of your business!" the woman's voice grew increasingly shrill and piercing. "She married Xiang Tian willingly! You just mind your own business!"

"Mother!" Erdan's voice trembled with tears, filled with grievance and heartache. "My sister is your own daughter too! How is what you're doing any different from a human trafficker? Can you sleep soundly at night? Doesn't your conscience bother you?"

"This Xiang Tian is the leader of that pirate gang," Zhou Qian explained to Wang Xiao in a low voice. "Er Dan's older sister, Shan Hu, is very beautiful and caught Xiang Tian's eye. Xiang Tian is originally from Dongji Island and didn't want to force a marriage, so he was hesitant. But then Er Dan's mother took the initiative to come to him, asked for ten taels of silver, and sold her own daughter to Xiang Tian."

He paused, then added with a touch of melancholy, "Xiang Tian is nearly fifty years old."

Wang Xiao's chopsticks stopped in mid-air.

"Who told her she was born a daughter, a born money-loser!" the woman's voice boomed, righteous and without a trace of shame. "Being able to exchange for ten taels of silver is already a great blessing! Back when I married your dead father, the dowry was a mere ten copper coins!"

"Mother, my sister is a living, breathing person too..." Erdan's voice grew increasingly angry.

"Snapped!"

The crisp, loud slap echoed through the courtyard wall, penetrating the night wind and reaching the ears of the three people clearly.

"You've got some nerve, daring to talk back to me!" The woman's arrogance intensified, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Kneel down right now, and see how I deal with you today!"

"……mother."

The boy had clearly reached his limit of patience, and he turned and fled, bursting out the door.

"Stop right there!" the woman shouted, her voice rising sharply. "If you dare step out of this house today, don't ever come back!"

"I'll go check on him." Zhou Qian got up, quietly walked out of the courtyard gate, and hurried in the direction the boy had run off to.

The woman inside couldn't stop her son, and her anger immediately turned on her husband, who was smoking a pipe. She unleashed a torrent of curses: "All you do all day is smoke, smoke, smoke, smoke! Why don't you just smoke yourself to death...?"

A deep, tired male voice came from behind, muttering weakly, "Can't you just shut up for a bit? You're disturbing the peace of the neighbors."

"You still have the nerve to talk back?" The woman suddenly raised her voice, her voice hoarse and strained. "Ever since I married you, you good-for-nothing, what kind of life have I been living! My son is disobedient, and I'm a useless father! I can't take this life anymore!"

Immediately afterwards, the sounds of ping-pong balls being thrown and things being smashed came from inside the house.

Bowls and plates shattered, wooden basins overturned, chickens flew and dogs barked, chaos reigned.

The woman's cries and curses, mixed with the sounds of breaking objects, echoed for a long time in the silent night.

One brick and one tile, one big and one small.

It is home, but also a prison.