Journey to the West Creation Technique

Nanming Guardian.

There is a small courtyard behind the government office, with a quiet and secluded environment.

Cai Yiheng sat on a stone bench in the courtyard and slowly unrolled a map.

Dragon Crocodile Bay, Southern Underworld Guardian.

The two places are actually only a month's journey apart as the crow flies.

The reason he and Qiao Zhi traveled for three months was because they had no map and could only rely on the star chart to deduce the celestial phenomena and calculate the direction in order to finally find Nanmingwei.

The journey was quite perilous, and it would have been impossible to reach Nanming Guard without the miraculous power of the Mist Concealment Flag.

Now, judging from Commander Shen's words, I'm afraid I'll have to return to Dragon Crocodile Bay as a guide.

He was merely a Qi Refining stage cultivator, and everything he did was subject to the sect's arrangements.

The sect arranged for him to come to the Southern Desolate State, so he had no choice but to come; the commander arranged for him to be a guide, so he had no choice but to go.

As dusk fell, the stars overhead became sparse.

Cai Yiheng put away the map and sat cross-legged on the spot.

He closed his eyes slightly, adjusted his breathing, and guided the spiritual root in his acupoints to sense the starlight of the Southern Underworld Continent.

As the night breeze blew by, he focused his mind inward. With a faint connection established between his spiritual root and the stars in the sky, he began to use the power of the stars to refine his spiritual energy and started a night of cultivation.

It's been a long time since I've cultivated so seriously...

These peaceful days of cultivation did not last long, as Commander Shen sent a message through his personal guards, instructing them to prepare for departure.

For low-level cultivators, constant travel and toil are the norm, and finding time to cultivate is often a luxury.

……

Nanming Guard

Nanming Guard Office.

Inside the lobby, Cai Yiheng and Qiao Zhi stood quietly waiting, with a man and a woman dressed in the uniforms of the Nanming Guard standing beside them.

The man was tall and stern-looking, with a reserved and taciturn demeanor; the woman's features bore a resemblance to his, and she was also quiet and reserved.

The two are a brother and sister. The brother's name is Ling Cangye and the sister's name is Ling Qinghan. Both of them are Qi Refining Realm cultivators and were selected to carry out the mission together.

Before long, Shen Li led a person into the hall.

The man was tall and imposing, with thick eyebrows and a square face. His aura was deep and heavy, like an abyss or a mountain, and one could tell at a glance that his cultivation was unfathomable.

Shen Li introduced with a smile: "This is Captain Zhao Xiong, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. He has guarded the Southern Underworld Guard for thirteen years, traversing the mountains and rivers of the desolate state, and fighting countless battles with demonic beasts and natives. He is a veteran general of our Southern Underworld Guard who is of utmost importance."

Cai Yiheng, Qiao Zhi, Ling Cangye, and Ling Qinghan all stepped forward to pay their respects.

Zhao Xiong looked at Cai Yiheng and Qiao Zhi and said gently, "You two were able to escape from the shipwreck and traverse the wilderness in three months. You are truly reliable, courageous and trustworthy."

Cai Yiheng and Qiao Zhi quickly bowed in return, saying, "Senior Zhao, you flatter us."

Although Ling Cangye and Ling Qinghan, the siblings, were also very polite, they clearly showed a hint of fear when they looked at Zhao Xiong.

Shen Li gestured to his personal guards to spread out a map, and then pointed his finger across it: "This is the Southern Underworld Guard. This is the territory of the Overturning Sea Crocodile, which is eight hundred li away. The land route involves traversing hills, crossing rivers, and wading through swamps. An ordinary team would need thirty days."

Zhao Xiong glanced at the map and said confidently, "With me leading the way, we can fly there. However... as we approach the Demon King's lair, I dare not fly. I can only conceal my aura and walk on foot. It will probably take at least five days to make a round trip."

Shen Li nodded in agreement: "This concerns a demon king whose strength is comparable to a Nascent Soul ancestor, so we cannot be careless in the slightest."

Upon hearing that the round trip would only take five days, Cai Yiheng and Qiao Zhi were both relieved. It seemed that this job was not as dangerous and complicated as they had imagined.

Shen Li's expression was serious: "This mission will be fully led by Commander Zhao. Cai Yiheng, Qiao Zhi, Ling Cangye, and Ling Qinghan, the four of you must cooperate fully and there must be no mistakes."

"Yes, sir." The four bowed in unison to accept the order.

Although he was still a little uneasy, he felt much more at ease seeing that Commander Shen and Zhao Xiong had made thorough arrangements.

Although Zhao Xiong possessed extremely high cultivation and had a fierce appearance, he spoke with unexpected gentleness and kindness: "No need for formalities. Now that you've joined my team, you're a comrade-in-arms who will live and die together. If you have any questions or difficulties on the road, just ask."

"This junior will certainly follow Senior Zhao's lead."

Cai Yiheng and Qiao Zhi looked flattered.

You really can't judge a book by its cover. I never expected this senior Zhao to be so kind and approachable.

Ling Cangye and Ling Qinghan remained silent, only slightly bowing their heads and saying nothing.

Not long after...

The five people left the main hall and came to an open space in the backyard.

A magical artifact was already parked in the center of the open space.

It was an ancient-style, imposing flying boat, several meters long, with shimmering light on its hull and intricate cloud patterns and array eyes carved on its edges.

This is a flying magical artifact: the Flowing Cloud Flying Boat.

Controlling this boat requires profound magical power; generally, only Foundation Establishment stage cultivators can independently steer it. Even if several Qi Refining cultivators work together, it is difficult for them to travel far.

The five people boarded the spirit boat one after another. Zhao Xiong cast a spell, and the spirit boat suddenly shone brightly. The array patterns flowed rapidly, and it soared into the sky.

They flew all the way and arrived at the seaside in less than half a day.

Zhao Xiong's expression hardened slightly, and his escape light slowly descended, finding a secluded mountain hollow to land steadily.

"The Flowing Cloud Flying Boat is quite expensive and cannot be stored in the brocade pouch, so bury it on the spot." He said in a deep voice, his fingertips forming an earth-elemental incantation, and the ground cracked open, creating a pit more than ten feet deep.

Cai Yiheng and the other three dared not delay and stepped forward to push the spirit boat into the pit together.

Zhao Xiong flicked his finger, and several beams of earth-yellow spiritual light fell, automatically filling in the soil and closing the gap, restoring the ground to a smooth surface without leaving the slightest flaw.

He then took out several light blue array flags and placed them around the area according to their positions, setting up a concealment array to completely hide the aura of this place.

"From this moment on, we must conceal our auras and proceed stealthily on foot. Under no circumstances should we activate our magic to disturb the Demon King," Zhao Xiong said in a deep voice.

Cai Yiheng and the other three nodded in unison.

All five of them were visiting the Demon King's lair for the first time. Ling Cangye and his sister Ling Qinghan followed silently, only keeping up behind Zhao Xiong.

Zhao Xiong was prepared. He patted the spirit beast pouch at his waist, and with a flash of light, a small, snow-white figure landed in his palm.

The beast was no bigger than the palm of my hand, with snow-white fur all over its body, and a pair of round, adorable eyes.

"This is Bai Rong, which has been with me for many years and is most adept at sensing demonic energy." Zhao Xiong's voice was extremely low.

The white fluff seemed to understand human nature, sniffing the air with its little nose before squeaking twice in one direction.

"Let's go!" Zhao Xiong lowered his voice and led the four of them stealthily toward the place where the demonic energy was dense.

None of the five dared to use their magic along the way, relying solely on their physical bodies to travel.

About an hour later, Bai Rong suddenly arched her body and cried out softly, her cries filled with fear.

Zhao Xiong put the white fluff into his spirit beast bag, and led the four of them to crouch down and sneak over silently.

Before long, a huge mountain pass suddenly appeared ahead. The rock walls at the entrance of the pass were jagged and twisted, and from a distance, they looked just like the gaping maw of a giant crocodile.

The cave entrance faces the sea, and on both sides stand several bare-chested, tattooed natives of the desolate region, holding spears and stone axes, their faces painted with totems, their eyes fierce.

Several feathered dragons crouched beside the native, guarding the cave entrance like hunting dogs. They had clearly been domesticated and were used to keep watch over the surroundings.

Zhao Xiong nodded slightly: "It seems we haven't come to the wrong place. This is Crocodile Dragon Bay, where the natives live."

"Is the Sea Crocodile Dragon here?" Cai Yiheng asked in a low voice.

Zhao Xiong shook his head: "This is just the dwelling of the natives; the Demon King may not be here. However, we can use these natives to test the Demon King's strength and weakness."

Qiao Zhi frowned slightly: "Could it be that we're observing their rituals?"

Zhao Xiong sneered, "We don't understand their language, so what's the use of observing the ritual? The simplest way is to break in and start a massacre. They are protected by the Demon King. If we slaughter this group and the Demon King still doesn't show himself, it means he can't even protect himself and is nothing to fear."

This brutal and direct method surprised both Cai Yiheng and Qiao Zhi.

Ling Cangye and his sister Ling Qinghan frowned slightly.

"Senior Zhao, if we recklessly slaughter the natives like this, incurring the wrath of the Demon King, wouldn't we be courting death?"

"Senior Zhao, please think it over!" Qiao Zhi hurriedly advised.

"Hehehe..." Zhao Xiong chuckled softly, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, all traces of kindness gone.

He always had a fierce look; his previous kindness and gentleness were all an act. Now he's showing his true colors.

His cold gaze swept over Cai Yiheng and Qiao Zhi, his tone icy: "The four of you go and slaughter the natives now, or you will be punished according to military law."