Star Martial Soaring Cloud

"The splendor of the Jianmu tree... I never expected to encounter such a divine object." Wang Xiao slowly withdrew his gaze, his heart filled with regret. "What a pity."

He had come specifically to find a wood-attribute treasure to refine his liver, and the divine treasure, the Splendor of the Jianmu Tree, would undoubtedly greatly aid his cultivation. However, he also knew that the auspicious beast guarding the treasure was beyond his reach, especially since the Deer-like creature was already a Dragon Gate Divine Realm expert.

Faced with a mythical beast that had already reached the Dragon Gate Divine Realm, Wang Xiao absolutely dared not harbor any thoughts of seizing the treasure. Even if he had the strength to fight in the future, he would not try to snatch it.

Putting aside the fact that the deer-like creature is an auspicious beast, the fact that the other party just spared him can be considered a favor.

Ingratitude is not Wang Xiao's style.

"But there's nothing to regret! Judging from the situation, the Jianmu Flower has already recognized its master. I only hope that in the future, I can borrow the Jianmu Flower from Lu Shu for my use."

Wang Xiao sighed softly, suppressing the regret in his heart, packed his bags, adjusted his direction, and headed north.

As they ventured deeper into the ancient forest, the scenery became increasingly wondrous. Many trees were laden with glistening, translucent spiritual fruits, their rich fragrance wafting in the breeze; occasionally, one could glimpse the silhouettes of low-level beasts foraging for food among the trees.

Wang Xiao did not linger. His goals were clear: first, the Immortal Ephemeral Flower; second, all the treasures that could help temper the five internal organs. If he could encounter other cultivators from the Nine Provinces here, that would be even better.

The map left by Lin Yueyao was very brief, and since she had no ambition to break through to a higher realm, there was not a single piece of information about the Immortal Ephemeral Flower on the map.

Wang Xiaozhi was determined to obtain the Immortal Ephemeral Flower—it was the key to breaking through to the Dragon Gate Divine Realm.

Before we knew it, it was getting dark.

The nights on the Demon Island are far more dangerous than the days. Strange roars of beasts echo through the forest, and unknown firefly creatures flit among the branches, casting eerie halos of blue or pale purple light.

Although the night no longer had much of an impact on Wang Xiao, the Demon Island was fraught with danger and unpredictability, and the Kyushu cultivators he encountered were of dubious character.

He needed to keep himself in peak condition at all times, so he did not choose to travel at night.

Wang Xiao found a high, open rocky platform, lit a campfire, and enjoyed a delicious meal of the spiritual fruits he had picked along with the meat of the beast. Afterward, he sat cross-legged and closed his eyes to rest.

The next morning, Wang Xiao set off north again.

Over the next two days, he traversed dense ancient forests and entered a hilly area.

The terrain here is undulating, with jagged rocks everywhere and sparse vegetation, but the concentration of spiritual energy in the air has not decreased; instead, it has gained a chilling and desolate aura.

Along the way, he encountered several powerful beasts, all of which were at the Lesser Completion stage of the Fish Leap cultivation level, but he easily forced them to retreat.

At noon on the third day, sunlight pierced through the sparse clouds and shone on the rocks in the hilly area, making them scorching hot.

Wang Xiao was walking along a mountain ridge when he suddenly frowned. In the distance came the sounds of fierce fighting, interspersed with the shouts of cultivators and the roars of strange beasts.

"Hmm? There are cultivators fighting?" A thought flickered in his mind, a hint of anticipation rising within him. "Finally, I've encountered other cultivators!"

Wang Xiao concealed his aura, unleashed the Seven Star Rain Steps, and sped off like a ghost toward the direction from which the fighting sounds came.

He did not show himself rashly, but stopped behind a boulder a hundred meters away from the fighting site and quietly peeked out to observe the situation.

In the open space ahead, three cultivators dressed in blue scholar's robes were engaged in a fierce battle with a strange beast.

The three men were young, and each wore a jade pendant engraved with the words "Haoqi" (righteous spirit), clearly indicating that they were disciples of the Haoqi Pavilion.

The strange beast that fought against them had an extremely peculiar appearance—a horse's body with a human face, its body covered with colorful tiger stripes, and a pair of large blue feather wings on its back. It was the ancient divine beast Yingzhao recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas!

Legend has it that Yingzhao is the guardian deity in charge of Kunlun Pingpu, responsible for overseeing the spiritual plants and flowers in the world. Although he is not bloodthirsty, he has a strong desire to punish those who covet spiritual plants.

At this moment, Yingzhao spread its wings and hovered in mid-air. With each flap of its wings, streaks of azure light containing pure primordial energy swept towards the three disciples of Haoqi Pavilion. Each streak of azure light was accompanied by a pressure as powerful as a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting.

"Hmm? With only the cultivation level of Fish Leap Perfection, it can still unleash divine abilities? Is this the true power of a divine beast?" Wang Xiao noticed something amiss. The constant flapping of Yingzhao's wings wasn't a deliberate attempt to fly; it seemed to levitate instinctively. "No wonder divine beasts of the same level have few rivals."

"Damn it! This divine beast's spiritual energy attack is too strange, our defenses can't withstand it at all!" A disciple of the Haoqi Pavilion roared breathlessly. His left arm had been struck by the green light, his clothes were torn, and he felt a piercing pain in his meridians, making his energy circulation extremely sluggish.

"Hold on! If the three of us join forces and unleash the Righteous Qi Formation, we might be able to block its attack!" another tall Righteous Qi Pavilion disciple shouted, brandishing his longsword, his sword energy crisscrossing as he tried to block Ying Zhao's azure light attack.

The third disciple's expression was grave as he continuously cast hand seals and spells, creating golden light shields that enveloped the three of them, resisting the corrosive azure light. "No! Its azure light can penetrate our defensive formations. If this continues, our vital energy will be exhausted sooner or later!"

Wang Xiao carefully observed the battle and discovered that the three disciples of Haoqi Pavilion had all reached the Great Perfection of Fish Leap, only one step away from the Dragon Gate Divine Realm, and their strength was already considerable.

However, Yingzhao's advantage in flight made the battle almost a complete rout for the three who couldn't fly.

More importantly, Wang Xiao could clearly sense that Ying Zhao's aura was in no way weaker than his own.

As an ancient divine beast, it not only controls the pure primordial energy of heaven and earth, but also possesses innate protective supernatural powers. The three disciples gradually fell into a disadvantageous position, struggling to defend themselves and facing constant danger.

During the fierce battle, Wang Xiao vaguely heard three disciples repeatedly mention the words "Immortal Ephemeral Flower".

"I never expected to find traces of the Fairy Epiphyllum here. It's truly a case of searching high and low only to find it right under my nose!" Wang Xiao thought to himself, instantly figuring out the connection.

Yingzhao was originally dedicated to guarding the immortal plants in Kunlun Pingpu. The Immortal Epiphyllum is a top-level spiritual plant in the world, and it is said that "the epiphyllum blooms in the morning and one can ask about the Dao in the evening." It is an indispensable natural treasure for crossing the Dragon Gate Divine Realm, so it naturally attracted Yingzhao to come and guard it.

"I was hesitant about whether to save them or not, but now it seems I have no choice but to." Wang Xiao said this, but in reality, he had already made up his mind to act the moment he saw the three of them.

Men are sometimes like that; they often say one thing but mean another for no reason. Perhaps it's out of a sense of pride, or perhaps it's a self-indulgent sentimentality to avoid making the other person feel sorry for them.

Although people on Demon Island are unpredictable and it's better to avoid trouble, firstly, everyone here comes from Kyushu and can be considered half fellow countrymen; secondly, Haoqi Pavilion is the leader of Confucianism in Kyushu and has always taken it upon itself to eliminate demons, protect the righteous path, and help those in distress. To turn a blind eye to someone in distress would be contrary to the principles of a cultivator.

Moreover, since they mentioned the Epiphyllum oxypetalum, we might be able to glean more information from them.

Finally, he thought of someone else—Xiao He of the Haoqi Pavilion. At Lishan, Xiao He clearly had a chance to make a move, but ultimately drifted away. He always remembered this kindness.

"We should try to save them, but we have to choose the right time. We shouldn't have the intention to harm others, but we must be wary of them. Otherwise, we might end up getting ourselves killed instead of saving them."

Just as Wang Xiaojing was waiting for her chance to make a move, the situation on the field suddenly changed.

Na Yingzhao seemed to be thoroughly enraged by the three disciples' stubborn resistance. She looked up and let out a clear cry, the sound as crisp as a pomegranate flower in bloom, yet carrying an undeniable majesty.

It exuded an even richer aura, and its azure wings suddenly stretched to their fullest extent. Countless azure rays, condensed like sharp blades, shot out from its wings, heading straight for the tall disciple.

"Watch out!" the other two disciples cried out in unison, but it was too late to help.

With a loud "bang!", the tall disciple was struck solidly by the azure light. His golden defensive shield shattered instantly, and he was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground. He spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot.

With one person lost, the remaining two disciples will find it even harder to hold on.

Yingzhao pressed her advantage, flapping her wings again and sending two thick beams of green light sweeping out, sending one of the disciples flying. She then swooped down and stomped on the chest of the last disciple, who also coughed up blood and fainted.

"Now!" Wang Xiao's eyes narrowed, and without further hesitation, his figure shot out from behind the boulder like an arrow. The Seven Star Sword in his hand instantly shone with golden light and slashed fiercely at Ying Zhao's back.

He didn't go for the kill, holding back three-tenths of his strength in his sword strike, but the power and fighting spirit he displayed were enough for Yingzhao to understand the limits—if Yingzhao insisted on fighting to the death, even if it could fly, it would most likely be the one to be defeated and die in the end.

"Screech—" Yingzhao sensed the sudden attack from behind, turned around abruptly, and his blue feather wings flapped rapidly, instantly forming a huge blue light barrier in front of him.

At the same time, its hooves pounded, and a beam of azure light shot towards Wang Xiao like lightning.

Wang Xiao was prepared. His Seven Star Rain Steps were unpredictable, and his figure instantly shifted several feet to the side, avoiding the beam of green light. At the same time, his Seven Star Sword swept across the green light barrier with a golden light, making a crisp "clang" sound and sparks flying everywhere.

"Such strong defense!" Wang Xiao was secretly shocked. He had used seventy percent of his strength in this sword strike, yet he still failed to break through the blue light barrier.

Enraged by the sword strike, Yingzhao abandoned all vigilance and charged madly at Wang Xiao. With a flap of his wings, countless streaks of azure light poured down like a torrential rain, completely blocking all of Wang Xiao's escape routes.

Wang Xiao dared not be careless and used the Seven Star Rain Steps with all his might, his figure nimbly moving through the open ground, constantly dodging Ying Zhao's attacks, while keeping a close eye on Ying Zhao, looking for his weakness.

He soon discovered that although Yingzhao's defense was strong, the feathers at the base of its wings were relatively thin, and that was the key point where its vital energy gathered.

Seizing the opportunity, Wang Xiao exerted his strength, his body suddenly rising higher, and then leaping into the air. The Seven Star Sword in his hand transformed into a golden stream of light, aiming straight for the base of Ying Zhao's wings.

Seeing this, Yingzhao's eyes flashed with panic. It hurriedly flapped its wings to dodge. The Seven Star Sword grazed the base of its wing, leaving a shallow wound. Pure primordial energy overflowed from the wound, turning into specks of blue light and dissipating into the air.

"Screech!" The injured Yingzhao became more vigilant, her spiritual energy grew stronger, and her attacks became more frequent.

Its speed suddenly increased, and with each flap of its wings, it spewed out a thick beam of azure light from its mouth, sweeping towards Wang Xiaoxi like a raging river.

Wang Xiao's expression darkened, and his internal energy circulated at full speed. The golden light on the Seven Star Sword intensified, and he unleashed a series of sharp sword energies to block the pillar of green light in front of him.

The beams of blue light struck the ground with a piercing "sizzle" sound, instantly creating deep craters in the ground.

"It seems I have no choice but to use my ultimate move!" A thought flashed through Wang Xiao's mind, and he immediately decided to unleash his killing move.

He lightly touched the ground with both feet and his body suddenly retreated several feet. Then he took a deep breath, and the vital energy in his body surged into the Seven Star Sword like a tidal wave. The golden light on the sword was extremely dazzling, and a faint dragon's roar could be heard. His whole body, along with the sword, transformed into a dazzling sun.

"By transforming himself into Yang, his might shakes all directions!"

This ultimate move was unleashed by Wang Xiao, who had already reached the pinnacle of the Fish Leap technique, and its power was several times greater than before.

It was as if two suns suddenly appeared between heaven and earth, one high in the sky and the other standing on the ground, their dazzling light causing the surrounding scenery to lose its color.

Yingzhao felt the terrifying power emanating from Wang Xiao, and could not even look directly at the dazzling light. His eyes revealed a deep fear, and he dared not linger in the fight any longer. He turned around abruptly, transformed into a green shadow, and sped away, disappearing from Wang Xiao's sight in an instant.

"They escaped? It seems I'm still invincible in the Fish Leap Realm!" Wang Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, sheathed his Seven Star Sword, and quickly walked to the three Haoqi Pavilion disciples to check their injuries.

Although all three were seriously injured, their lives were not in danger; they were simply unconscious.

However, just as he finished checking the pulse of the last disciple and was about to take out herbs to treat their injuries, a sudden change occurred!

Without warning, a dark figure suddenly darted out from the depths of the dense forest a hundred meters away, moving at an extreme speed. It left a faint black afterimage in the air as it passed, its target Wang Xiao!

What's even more chilling is that what arrived even before the dark figure was an extremely sharp sword aura!

The sword energy seemed to transcend time and space, appearing without any warning or sound. As soon as it appeared, it carried a chilling aura of death, completely enveloping Wang Xiao.

The terrifying aura made Wang Xiao's hair stand on end, and an unprecedented sense of crisis grew wildly from the bottom of his heart—it was a threat that could be fatal!