It was daytime. Prince Yong currently stood atop the peak of a snow-capped mountain. The violent torrent of air surging out from the fissure sent the snow on the summit swirling into the air.
Chunks of snow tumbled down the mountainside, threatening an impending avalanche. He paid no heed to this and raised his head to look upward; the radiant light, so vastly different from the world across, brought a hint of warmth to him.
"The sun..."
Such brilliance could never be seen in the convergence zone. The sky above the convergence zone was eternally overcast and gloomy, while the sky above Youdu was shrouded in dense fog, where night and day were distinguished solely by lamps and lanterns.
And beyond the sun lay the vault of heaven. Vast and boundless though the convergence zone was, only here, beneath this azure expanse overhead, could he truly perceive a sense of infinity.
All of this gave him a profound sense of novelty.
After all, the convergence zone had merely been formed by the collision of two worlds. Many places were unfit for habitation, teeming with ubiquitous, troublesome mutated creatures. The closer one approached the other world, the harsher the environment became, which was why most people dwelt only on the side of the convergence zone bordering the Old Land.
Yet when it came to suitability for living, the Old Land remained supreme.
Here, the colors of heaven and earth were far richer and more vibrant, imbued with an orderly harmony among all things, unlike the convergence zone, which was plagued everywhere by chaotic aberration.
The only downside was that upon arriving here, he felt his mutated tissue grow utterly sluggish. Was this because it was far removed from the other world? Even so, it somehow made him feel far more at ease.
No wonder the dynasty had first laid its foundations here; Youdu was merely a choice born of necessity. He made a silent vow that once he ascended the throne, he would find a way to reclaim this domain.
After indulging his reverie for a few breaths, his gaze sharpened with vigilance once more. He had not forgotten that this was now the territory of Great Shun.
He cast his gaze toward the distant horizon, scanning the rough terrain where patches of snow remained unmelted and the icy surface of the frozen lake.
Apart from sensing a few dormant animals burrowed deep underground, there was scarcely any living creature.
Moreover, powerful lifeforms would only stand out all the more conspicuously here.
Though he saw nothing, he did not let his guard down. Raising a hand in a gesture, he signaled a Xuanji martial artist who had followed him out, who then released several mutant birds one after another.
These mutant creatures looked no different from ordinary birds of the Old Land and drew no attention once they dispersed. Their specially bred sensory organs could detect strong field reactions over a hundred kilometers away and distinguish various anomaly points; anyone or anything relying on camouflage to hide could not escape their eyes.
Although the search was time-consuming and seemed to delay their journey, it was a necessary precaution. Once they exited the fissure, they could only press forward—there was no turning back.
An hour later, the mutant birds flew back one after another, having discovered nothing out of the ordinary.
In that case, he could return to report. As for how to proceed afterward, where the fissure leading to the Beihai convergence zone was, or how to open it, he had no idea; all of that had to be arranged by his imperial father.
Ordering the Xuanji martial artist to remain in place, he turned, flew back into the fissure, and landed aboard the Fangzhang. He made straight for the cabin where Emperor Wenguang resided.
Cupping his hands toward the bead curtain hanging in front, he said, "Imperial Father, Imperial Mother, this son has scouted outside and found no abnormalities. Pray instruct your son on where the fleet should proceed next."
Emperor Wenguang said, "Prince Yong has done well. Head north. A hundred li away lies Anbo Lake; the path lies there."
"This son obeys your command."
Prince Yong felt a surge of invigorated spirit. It was only a hundred-odd li, which would take hardly any time to cross. It seemed they would soon escape danger.
He returned immediately and ordered the flotilla to set off again. Before long, the Fangzhang slowly sailed out of the fissure, with twenty slightly smaller airships flanking its wings, fanning outward as they emerged.
Once all of them had emerged, the fissure behind them seemed to have fulfilled its mission. After flickering a few times, it rapidly closed up and vanished in a final flash.
Meanwhile, atop another distant peak, there was a field monitoring station.
Chen Chuan stood before a field screen, with Jiang Linghuai, Mu Xiaoren, and Mingchengzi standing behind him.
Displaying on the screen at this moment was the very sight of the airship flotilla.
Direct observation by a Dongxuan View martial artist could easily trigger an instinctive perception from the other side. However, Chen Chuan had sent Chaoming high into the sky to observe from afar.
Chaoming possessed a relic and was empowered by the bloodline of Ikus, allowing it to conceal itself adeptly while observing the target. Everything it saw was transmitted through the boundary credential it wore and the temporary field stations erected along the route beforehand.
Mu Xiaoren's eyes fell upon the Fangzhang, and he said, "An airship of such high specifications and fully equipped facilities could only be an imperial carriage."
Mingchengzi was full of confidence, saying with certainty, "This vessel bears the imperial house's 'Yuan' crest. For clansmen or ministers to use it would be an act of usurpation. Emperor Wenguang is sinister, narrow-minded, and petty; even if he were playing deceitful tricks, he would never permit any minister to use it. Thus, I dare say Emperor Wenguang is definitely aboard that vessel!"
Chen Chuan saw the fissure close, yet made no move to act.
With his speed, setting out now would bring him there in a matter of moments. But he needed to know where this group was heading, and whether a fissure truly existed ahead. If there was one, its location had to be confirmed first.
His gaze shifted and settled on Prince Yong, noticing in particular Prince Yong's eyes, which gave him a peculiar sensation. Could this be... a secret diagram bloodline?
He could test his measure later.
Half an hour later, the flotilla arrived outside Anbo Lake. The lake was not particularly large, spanning roughly a hundred mu, and was currently frozen over.
Seeing the young Xuanist gazing at the surrounding landscape not far away, Emperor Wenguang asked, "Shaoyou, can you tell how to activate the fissure buried here?"
The young Xuanist studied it for a moment, smiled faintly, and said with certainty, "Your Majesty, the key lies within the stones along the lakeshore."
Emperor Wenguang praised, "Your master recommended you here, and indeed you possess real skill."
Along the lake lay naturally formed stones. At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but anyone well-versed in esoteric rituals who looked closely would discover that these stones were actually arranged in a particular layout.
Activation was also very simple: one only needed to shatter the stones placed to obscure sight and obstruct the ritual pattern.
Emperor Wenguang stood from his seat, walked forward, and stood with his hands clasped behind his back on the airship's terrace. "Since your master sent you here, from now on, you shall be Our Imperial Preceptor. It falls to you to open the fissure." With that, he tossed him a black tally.
The young Xuanist caught it in hand, saluted, and said, "I thank Your Majesty for the bestowal. This subject shall proceed at once."
"Prince Yong."
Emperor Wenguang called out again.
Prince Yong quickly cupped his hands. "Imperial Father, your son is here."
Emperor Wenguang said, "Times are not what they once were. The false dynasty has deployed many scouts within our borders. Keep a strict watch all around. When the fissure opens, allow no one to draw near."
Prince Yong said with utmost confidence, "Imperial Father, rest assured. Leave it to your son."
Emperor Wenguang said, "Go."
The young Xuanist bowed to Emperor Wenguang, tapped the tips of his toes, and with a flash of white light around him, arrived above the lake in an instant.
Prince Yong cupped his hands, stepped back two paces, exited the airship, and ascended high into the air, ordering the surrounding airships to take positions in all four directions on strict alert.
In truth, he was not especially worried. He knew Great Shun's garrisoning methods well: most of their forces were concentrated along the borders and the Mystic Ring. Most central cities were guarded by only one or two Xuanji martial artists, and while there might be artificial mutants with formidable combat power stationed in the cities, they rarely ventured out.
Even if someone truly came, as a Dongxuan View Xuanji martial artist, he could easily deal with them.
Meanwhile, the young Xuanist descended slowly onto the frozen lake. With subtle flicks of his fingers, stones along the shore either shattered into dust out of nowhere or flew aside. In just two minutes, all obstacles obstructing the ritual pattern were cleared away.
He then tossed the tally from his hand, reached out, and tapped a finger against it. Instantly, a spherical blue light radiated outward, expanding a field with the object as its center.
At the same time, Mingchengzi, watching this unfold, could not help but let out a soft exclamation. "Is that a Leigang apparatus? That is a lost ritual method of the Chang Dynasty."
He pondered, stroking his beard. "I once heard my elders mention that after the founding emperor of the Ding Dynasty ascended the throne, he captured three secret caches of the previous dynasty, yet not a shred of information leaked out thereafter..."
He looked ahead again. "This fissure might well be a relic left behind by the previous dynasty. Ah, no wonder they insisted that the sect establish one end of the fissure here rather than closer to the western lands. So that was their purpose all along."
As they spoke, the blue radiance in the lake water grew increasingly dazzling, and a faint, shimmering fissure gradually emerged alongside it.
Seeing this, Chen Chuan watched no longer. He stepped out of the monitoring station, glanced toward the distant sky, and in a flash of light, vanished in an instant. Only after quite a while did a rumbling boom echo from the mountaintop.
Mingchengzi, Jiang Linghuai, and Mu Xiaoren also transformed into beams of light to follow.
Seeing the fissure gradually widen and spread across the entire lake, Prince Yong elevated himself higher into the sky to prevent any interference at this critical moment. Overall, however, he remained quite relaxed, for his senses detected no special presence nearby.
Even if someone truly appeared, he had no fear. Though he felt he might not best that Xuanji general, holding them off for a brief moment would hardly be difficult.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, he suddenly seemed to sense something. Turning around, he saw a cluster of spiritual light hurtling toward him.
Because it came too fast, he only had time to bring his arms up to block his chest while a phantom silhouette manifested around him. The light struck him in an instant, sending him hurtling uncontrollably outward before crashing into a cliff face with a tremendous boom.
When the concussive force dissipated and he burst out from the shattered rock wall, he found that he had already been hurled far away from Anbo Lake—even the gigantic Fangzhang had dwindled to a tiny speck before his eyes.
Shocked and enraged, he looked up, his pupils contracting sharply. There, hovering above the lake, stood a figure shimmering all over with white-gold light.
Chapter 1427