Chapter 4: This Generation’s Master of Penglai Island Has a Serious Problem Part 2

Gu Chuan watched as the Star Compass needle stopped again, his brow furrowing. “The terrain of the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss is complex. The Star Compass is having increasing difficulty confirming directions.”

And who knew if the direction they were walking was correct?

They were just blindly heading south, as if that would eventually lead them to the end of the Abyss.

Now the Star Compass couldn’t even distinguish east, west, south, or north. One misstep and they’d walk a path straight to death.

“Then what do we do?” A male disciple looked around in panic. “This fog is getting thicker, blocking our sight, consuming our spirit energy. It’s trying to trap us here until we die!”

Jing Chen was supporting Hou An. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lu Qing’an looking down at her wrist, as if receiving some kind of shock.

He asked, “Eldest Senior Sister, have you discovered something?”

Without changing expression, Lu Qing’an took the Star Compass from Gu Chuan and walked forward. “Follow me.”

Everyone was stunned. Seeing Lu Qing’an walk straight ahead with such conviction, as if she was certain there was an exit ahead, her resolute manner steadied their hearts.

They immediately followed, focusing intently on Lu Qing’an at the front. No one dared speak, afraid of affecting her pathfinding.

Jing Chen asked, puzzled, “Eldest Senior Brother, isn’t the Star Compass broken? Why is Eldest Senior Sister still using it to navigate?”

Gu Chuan was also unclear. Why couldn’t the Star Compass work in his hands, but it could in Lu Qing’an’s?

“Perhaps Qing’an repaired it.”

Lu Qing’an was exceptionally gifted, no matter if it was cultivation, pill refining, or artifact forging.

Back then, the various Peak Masters of the Primordial Pavilion had fought over wanting to take Lu Qing’an as their direct disciple. Unfortunately, the Pavilion Master had gotten there first and accepted her as the chief disciple, teaching her personally.

The Alchemy Elder and the Artifact Forging Elder couldn’t bear to part with such a highly talented, diligent disciple. So they taught her together with the Pavilion Master, passing down all their life’s knowledge and skills to Lu Qing’an.

Jing Chen had no doubts. After all, Lu Qing’an’s artifact forging skill was almost at the level of a Grandmaster Forger.

Repairing a Star Compass was certainly child’s play for her.

The path ahead was hazy, the fog blocking out the sky. The group kept walking, following Lu Qing’an. No one raised any objections; they could only trust her.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, the sun’s fierce light in the sky dimmed significantly, announcing the coming of night.

The efficacy of the Mind-Clearing Pill in their bodies was weakening. The group’s consciousness was slowly being eroded by the fog, their footsteps faltering. Two disciples with weaker spiritual energy, influenced by the fog, were already wandering in circles.

Gu Chuan immediately gave them the last Mind-Clearing Pill. Looking at the single remaining pill, he offered it to Lu Qing’an. “You take it.”

Lu Qing’an shook her head. “I’m fine.”

She looked at the other disciples, growing weaker and weaker, their gazes unfocused. “Save it.”

Gu Chuan carefully put the last pill away. “Don’t force yourself.”

Lu Qing’an nodded and continued forward.

Seeing her move forward without hesitation, Gu Chuan felt a subtle shift in his heart. He abruptly grabbed her hand and asked, “Qing’an, have you discovered some secret about the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss?”

Lu Qing’an’s brows furrowed slightly. She glanced at Gu Chuan’s hand, twisted her wrist, and evaded his grasp. “Don’t you think the fog here is too thick?”

Gu Chuan did feel the fog’s density was abnormal, its thickness like a massive, solid city wall. Their vision was now increasingly blurred.

“What do you mean?”

Lu Qing’an lifted her foot and continued walking. “The fog is getting thicker and thicker… What is it trying to hide?”

Gu Chuan’s eyes widened. He exclaimed, “The exit!”

Lu Qing’an looked up at the sky. The sun, which had been directly overhead, was moving downward at a visible speed.

Time in the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss was fast-forwarding. It wanted to bring night on early.

“Speed up.” Lu Qing’an summoned her Cloud-Cutting Sword.

Gu Chuan also noticed the anomaly and immediately shouted, “Quick, everyone, speed up!”

Everyone immediately supported each other, quickening their pace, closely following Lu Qing’an as she ran forward.

As their speed increased, the daytime in the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss suddenly darkened at an eerie rate.

The distant sky was already pitch-black. Heavy dark clouds drifted over, like colossal, fierce beasts chasing after them, intent on swallowing them whole.

The fog grew thicker, the path harder to navigate. The roars of Spirit Beasts echoed ceaselessly in the distance. The Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss seemed to come alive, trying every method to keep them there.

Lu Qing’an clenched her fist, raised her palm, and channeled energy, scattering the impenetrable wall of fog before her.

The moment the fog parted, the scene before their eyes suddenly opened up.

They saw a sunny, narrow trail, a stark contrast to the dark, wailing, sinister, and terrifying Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss behind them.

“It’s the exit—”

“We escaped the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss—”

Gu Chuan yelled, “Quick, jump out!”

Everyone immediately rushed forward. Jing Chen lifted Hou An onto his back, leaped, and tumbled onto the ground.

He settled Hou An down and looked back at Gu Chuan and Lu Qing’an, who were still inside the Abyss acting as the rear guard. He urgently cried, “Eldest Senior Brother, Eldest Senior Sister, get out quickly!”

Seeing everyone else escape, Gu Chuan immediately grabbed Lu Qing’an to run out with him.

Lu Qing’an shook off his hand. “You go first.”

“Qing’an, the exit is right there! What are you waiting for?” Seeing her not moving, he shouted.

Lu Qing’an didn’t answer. She raised her hand and struck Gu Chuan out of the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss.

She clutched the Storage Bag at her chest and looked at the now pitch-black Abyss. In a deep voice, she asked, “Aren’t you coming with us?”

No one answered.

“Don’t you want your Beast Core?”

Still silence.

Lu Qing’an looked around, a trace of panic she couldn’t hide creeping into her voice. “If I leave the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss, you won’t be able to find me. Come with me, leave with me?”

The exit of the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss was slowly shrinking. Seeing this, Gu Chuan gripped his sword and rushed forward, trying to block the exit from closing, but found it was useless.

He cried out in desperation, “Qing’an, get out now! The exit is closing!”

Jing Chen also rushed up to help. “Eldest Senior Sister, come out quickly—”

Lu Qing’an twisted her wrist, pulling tight on an invisible rope, and declared resolutely, “I know you’re here. The Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss is extremely dangerous. Even if your strength is high and you’ve reached the peak, able to resist the Abyss’s erosion… but if you make one wrong step, you’ll be…”

Gu Chuan saw Lu Qing’an not moving as the exit shrank at flying speed and roared, “Lu Qing’an! Get out right now!”

Lu Qing’an gritted her teeth. Just as she was about to speak, she saw that woman’s figure suddenly appear before her eyes.

Joy bloomed on her face. She wanted to take the woman away with her, but she saw her raise a hand and gently push her shoulder.

Lu Qing’an’s eyes widened in disbelief as she saw that person grow farther and farther away.

“No—”

Lu Qing’an fell to the ground, watching helplessly as that person was swallowed by the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss. The exit sealed, disappearing before everyone’s eyes.

Gu Chuan coughed up a mouthful of stagnant blood. Seeing Lu Qing’an’s vacant stare, he asked, “That woman was the Mysterious Person who killed the Star Rift Python and saved us?”

He hadn’t seen the person’s face clearly, but from her figure, it was definitely a woman.

“Were you waiting for her all this time?”

Lu Qing’an looked at the red thread severed from her wrist. It seemed like the sinew of some Spirit Beast, soft, smooth, and very elastic.

Seeing she wouldn’t speak, Gu Chuan took it as confirmation. He sighed and said, “That person’s strength was extraordinary, able to kill a Star Rift Python with ease. She must be a Spirit Beast from the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss who took human form. Perhaps the Abyss is her home. It’s no great pity if she didn’t leave.”

Lu Qing’an looked down, bit her lip, and stood up. She put the sinew into her Storage Bag, took a deep breath, and said, “Let’s go.”

Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss

Cheng Huan sat on the ground, raising a hand to push aside the surrounding fog. Helplessly, she said, “This Female Lead is so stubborn. She reached the exit but still wouldn’t run. Just now, she almost got stuck in the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss.”

Little Hedgehog: [The Child of Destiny chosen by the Heavenly Dao values loyalty and repaying kindness. Host saved her so many times, she must have wanted to take you with her.]

Cheng Huan also understood the Female Lead’s intentions. But just then, it was a critical, perilous moment. If the Female Lead had stayed in the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss, even with Cheng Huan protecting her, it would have been very difficult to complete this world’s objective.

The male and female leads were the Children of Destiny chosen by the Heavenly Dao. They had the Dao’s protection and wouldn’t easily lose their lives. But the Heavenly Dao couldn’t stop them from actively seeking death, could it?!

All tribulations for the male and female leads were perhaps only a half-life, half-death probability.

If they couldn’t transcend a tribulation, the male and female leads would die. Then the world would collapse, and Cheng Huan’s retirement life would undoubtedly be affected.

Little Hedgehog didn’t understand and asked: [But, Host, why didn’t you just leave the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss with the Female Lead earlier?]

Cheng Huan twirled a twig she’d picked up from the ground in her fingers, a clever light flashing in her eyes. She lazily said, “Of course I have to leave, but I can’t leave empty-handed.”

The Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss was full of good stuff. Since she’d had the rare chance to visit, she had to grab some souvenirs, right?

Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss: “…”

Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss: Motherfcker! Did you hear me?! I said damn it!