"So, the Sect Hierarch has sent us master and disciple off to the Northern Continent?"

Above the North Sea, a Seven-colored Clouds carried the Seven Fragrant Treasure Car, swiftly traveling above the rolling dark clouds.

Inside the Treasure Car, Yu Yuan sat earnestly on a cushion, took out a furnace, Spiritual Spring, tea leaves, and other utensils, brewed a cup of fragrant tea on the spot, and handed it to the Golden Spirit Saint Mother, casually inquiring with curiosity.

Golden Spirit Saint Mother didn't take the teacup, merely responding coldly with a "Hmm."

Yu Yuan knew she was angry.

Indeed, it was his fault for not managing the time well.

Mainly, he didn't expect her to arrive so quickly.

However...

"It's just a half-hour wait; it doesn't delay anything. Why be so angry?" Yu Yuan didn't quite understand and murmured softly.

With a phoenix-like gaze, the Golden Spirit Saint Mother sternly reproached, "You, a cultivator, are constantly thinking about affairs between men and women. How can you ever realize the great Dao?"

Yu Yuan answered seriously, "The path of Yin and Yang Dual Cultivation is also one of the three thousand great Dao paths. You, Master, can't be biased against it."

"Good!" Golden Spirit Saint Mother laughed out of sheer irritation, and looking at Yu Yuan, she said, "Even if you are comprehending the path of Dual Cultivation, I want to ask you: don't you already have a Fairy Miao Yuan in the gentle village of the Western Ox-He Country? Why do you still come to Qingqiu to find that Fox Spirit?"

Hearing this, Yu Yuan said irritably, "My encounter with Fairy Miao Yuan was a mere coincidence, not to be taken seriously... Wait a minute!"

He suddenly had an epiphany, "So, Master, you're not against my comprehension of Dual Cultivation; you just look down on Bai Ling..."

"Hmph!"

Golden Spirit Saint Mother didn't refute, and said seriously, "That flirtatious fox spirit charmed you into staying nights in Qingqiu, even making you forget to return to Penglai. How could I possibly hold her in high regard?"

Yu Yuan widened his eyes, "You still remember that? It happened a thousand years ago."

Back when he first left Penglai in search of ways to improve himself, he ended up getting involved with Bai Ling in Qingqiu, experiencing the joy of being physically replenished.

For a long time afterward, he lived a life in Qingqiu as blissful as an immortal.

The result was Golden Spirit Saint Mother coming after him, thinking Yu Yuan was bewitched, and almost annihilated the nine-tailed fox family of Qingqiu.

Even though Yu Yuan tried to clear things up with her, she still believed that Bai Ling had confused his mind.

Since then, she hadn't had much fondness for the Qingqiu nine-tailed fox family.

That was also why Bai Ling did not dare to visit Golden Spirit Saint Mother when she went to Penglai last time.

"Of course, I remember!"

The tone of the Golden Spirit Saint Mother sounded very unfriendly.

After a pause, she said seriously, "If you wish to establish a Dao companion, I am not opposed to it. Huo Ling'er could be a good choice.

She grew up with you since childhood, always close by your side; I have seen her affection towards you. If you were to take her as your Dao companion, I would naturally not object."

"..."

Yu Yuan was rather speechless, experiencing once again what it feels like to have one's marriage controlled by elders.

He solemnly declared, "I've always seen her as a sister. Don't randomly matchmake; I don't play that game."

"Really?"

Golden Spirit Saint Mother looked at him doubtfully, "But didn't you two once tie the marital thread?"

"Hmm?"

Yu Yuan said somewhat surprised, "How did you know about this?"

Apart from him, only Long Ji and Chang'e knew about the marital thread. He had told them both not to speak of it to others as if it had never happened.

After that, he had forgotten about the incident.

Yet today, he heard it mentioned again by his own master.

However, Golden Spirit Saint Mother didn't say much, simply stating, "Don't worry about how I know. In any case, that fox spirit is not suitable for you.

If you are unwilling to become Dao companions with Huo Ling'er, you can consider Fairy Miao Yuan.

I hear that last time when you clashed with the Chan Sect, she also hurried over to assist you. She seems quite approving of you, which does satisfy me as your master.

Of course, what's most important for you right now is to focus on comprehending the Dao, and strive to achieve the Primordial Dao Fruit as soon as possible."

Yu Yuan slightly curled the corners of his mouth, took the cup of clear tea, and drank it all in one gulp, smilingly saying, "Yes, yes, you're right!"

"..."

Golden Spirit Saint Mother looked at him helplessly.

She knew this disciple too well; the more he acted this way, the clearer it was that he didn't take her words to heart.

But she didn't know how to persuade her disciple either.

She could only sigh silently in her heart and closed off the topic without further discussion.

The carriage interior also quieted down.

...

The Northern Continent is a place filled with desolation and danger, rampant with poisonous miasma.

On this vast land, dark clouds of poison gas gather to form grey-black fog, covering most of the continent. This dense fog permeates the air, filling every inch of space with deadly toxicity.

Under this grey-black fog, the ground is barren, plants wither, and life is almost completely extinguished.

The presence of the toxic gas makes it impossible for the wildlife and vegetation of the continent to survive, save for a few resilient species that eke out an existence in such conditions.

For outsiders without a Spiritual Treasure for protection, crossing this poison-fogged land is nearly an impossible task.

The intensely poisonous miasma and the various venomous creatures it spawns can exact a heavy toll on any intruder at any moment.

Even the Witch Demon clans that have been exiled to the Northern Continent for countless generations must remain vigilant and take various protective measures to safeguard themselves when venturing outside.

However, Yu Yuan and his companions need not worry about these things.

The toxic miasma couldn't penetrate the Seven Fragrant Treasure Car, let alone harm them.

Yu Yuan, full of interest, walked out of the carriage without any protective measures and strolled casually into the toxic miasma.

Golden Spirit Saint Mother slightly furrowed her brow.

If it had been before, she would have certainly chastised him for risking his life for the sake of cultivation.

But now she knew full well that her disciple had already honed an indestructible and perfect physique, and she would not try to stop him.

Yu Yuan did not stay outside for long and soon returned to the carriage.

Because the toxic miasma outside was just as he expected – it could no longer cause him any harm.

Their destination this time was the desolate desert in the northern part of the Northern Continent, so the Seven Fragrant Treasure Car did not stop, continuing to speed northward.

Time passed, and eventually, the Seven Fragrant Treasure Car swiftly entered the Northern Continent's northern desert.

Before them lay a boundless sea of yellow sand, like a flurry of golden grains that blocked the entire view.

The whipping sandstorm howled, sweeping across the desert of the Northern Continent. The yellow sand formed undulating dunes in the air, like heartless dragons stretching forth, ready to swallow everything in their path.

This was Yu Yuan's second venture into this desert.

He looked around with a sense of returning to a familiar place.

Even though the yellow sands of the Great Desert constantly shifted, he was still able to recognize some familiar landmarks.

Like the place where he thrashed the mighty adversary, or the place where he beat up Jin Naluo, or the place where he battered Yun Cheng Wanli Peng, or the place where he pummeled the Kunpeng Ancestor...

Wait, that was where he got thrashed by the Kunpeng Ancestor.

Just a bit further north is where he, wielding the Qingping Sword, thrashed the Kunpeng Ancestor, seized the Beiming Palace, and sliced off the Kunpeng Wing with a single stroke.

Their journey this time had no specific aim, only knowing that the Demon Emperor Hall had once appeared amidst the vast desert.

Even the source of the message remained elusive, impossible to pin down exactly where it originated.

Therefore, even the Golden Spirit Saint Mother could only drive the Seven Fragrant Treasure Car aimlessly to roam and patrol the desert.

Time slipped by day by day.

One morning, a sudden feeling of heart palpitations emerged from within Yu Yuan.

Without any warning, it just appeared.

At the same time, a vague voice was murmuring something by his ear.

Yu Yuan's brow furrowed, and he released his Divine Thought to sweep the surroundings.

"What's the matter?"

Golden Spirit Saint Mother noticed his odd behavior and asked curiously.

"Can't you hear it?"

Yu Yuan looked at Golden Spirit Saint Mother in surprise.

"Hear what?" Golden Spirit Saint Mother's phoenix eyes were full of confusion.

Seeing this, Yu Yuan immediately understood that only he could hear the voice.

He hastily pulled out his Sound Transmission Treasure Pearl, Imaging Divine Pearl, and other items, even taking out a bronze mirror to inspect, but he still couldn't find the source of the voice.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he opened his Qiankun Ruyi Bag again and rummaged through it for a long time before he found a Jade Pestle.

It was a jade pestle of translucent green, less than a foot long, thick at the head and tapering towards the tail, with ring patterns in the middle, and its surface intricately carved with many runes, looking both mysterious and elegant.

When he had first obtained it from Chang'e Fairy, it was an ordinary jade pestle with no special properties, but at this moment, it was shining with a faint treasured brilliance.

Most importantly, the moment Yu Yuan grasped the jade pestle, the unclear whispering by his ear became clear and distinct.

It was a woman's voice, low and melodious.

"Do... not... come... save... me..."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.