From the Northern Underworld Empire to the Red Moon Empire, the journey spanned over ten thousand miles.
This was a formal departure, and the entourage was not small. Su Luo selected a small, double-decked spirit ship from the Resource Hall—it was nimble, fast, and energy-efficient. The group set off under the reluctant gazes of Jun Mu Bai and Bai Qi.
The sea of clouds was vast, and the breeze was refreshing. They sailed for three consecutive days, and the scenery below remained as beautiful as ever.
Although they were heading to the Red Moon Empire to participate in the Heavenly Pride Competition, everyone was in a relaxed mood. Since there was no rush to reach their destination and no immediate danger, they decided to treat it as a leisurely journey.
“Shang Xie, why are you accompanying us?”
Su Luo lay leisurely on a chaise lounge, sipping juice and asking lazily, “Shouldn't you be returning to the Longevity Palace? Are you not participating in the Heavenly Pride Competition?”
Shang Xie Shao Qing, clad in elegant white robes and fanning himself, approached her and said with a smile, “Of course, I’m participating. But isn’t it the same if I accompany you? It saves me the trouble of going back and forth. Luo Luo, aren’t you welcoming me?”
Tang Xiao Guo whispered, “Of course, we welcome you. Sister Su, don’t you think so?”
Just as Su Luo was about to reply, a voice interjected, “Whether you’re welcome or not, you’re already on the ship.”
A faint shadow fell over Su Luo’s head. Li Tian Jue had arrived without anyone noticing. He looked indifferently at Shang Xie Shao Qing. “The wind is strong at the bow of the ship. Young Master Shang Xie should go inside the cabin to rest. The journey is long; you wouldn’t want to catch a chill.”
What’s with this gaze… it feels off.
Shang Xie Shao Qing shivered under Li Tian Jue’s stare, a chill rising in his heart, making him unable to stay any longer.
“Oh, then I’ll go rest for a while. Brother Li and Luo Luo, you two chat.” He left hurriedly and even wiped a cold sweat from his forehead as he entered his room. How strange, why would he suddenly feel so cold?
Li Tian Jue returned to his usual calm demeanor and glanced at the few people lounging on the chaise lounges and eating.
Su Luo, Tang Xiao Guo, Chu Tian Shu, Lu Ji Xing—all of them seemed utterly unconcerned, as lazy as cats basking in the sun, with only Zhan Li missing. The fruit platters and juice in front of them were quite delightful!
“You’re enjoying yourselves?”
Li Tian Jue had the feeling that these people weren’t going to participate in the Heavenly Pride Competition but were on vacation.
Chu Tian Shu stretched, his eyes half-closed, and said, “Senior Brother, it’s rare to go out. Of course, we should enjoy it. The elders aren’t here, so you can relax too.”
Lu Ji Xing added, “Yes, Junior Sister prepared many chaise lounges. Senior Brother, you should try one too.”
Tang Xiao Guo giggled, “Senior Brother, they’re really comfortable.”
Li Tian Jue: “……”
A moment later, Li Tian Jue also lay down on a chaise lounge next to Su Luo.
It was indeed very comfortable.
Enjoyment aside, important matters should not be forgotten.
Su Luo took a sip of fresh orange juice, handed a cup to Li Tian Jue, and asked, “By the way, Senior Brother, do you know what the Heavenly Pride Competition will be about this time? I heard Second Brother say that the competition content varies each time.”
“Indeed it does.”
Lu Ji Xing immediately chimed in, “In the last Heavenly Pride Competition, we first passed through the Savage Crocodile Marsh and the White Bone Cliff to enter the top five hundred. Then there was a arena match. But I heard that before that, the competition was held in the Flame Desert, where contestants had to find water first and kill a hundred fire-attribute magical beasts… I wonder what the content will be this time.”
Li Tian Jue tasted the orange juice and said faintly, “You should ask Tian Shu about this. His Imperial Father is one of the judges. The rewards for the annual competition are also partially provided by the imperial families of the four great nations to the winners.”
Chu Tian Shu pouted, “Forget it. I’ve already asked my Imperial Father, but he wouldn’t say. He only hinted that this time it’s very dangerous and told me to be extra careful. If it’s too much, I shouldn’t participate. We don’t lack this little bit of reward.”
Changing the subject, he snorted, “But do I care about the reward?”
Tang Xiao Guo innocently asked, “Perhaps it’s really dangerous?”
Even though she wasn’t participating and was only going to watch, she still worried for her Senior Brothers and Sister Su.
Li Tian Jue said lightly, “No matter how difficult the competition, it’s still a fight against people. You just need to pay attention to a few opponents. The Six Desires Sect’s Heavenly Maiden Wen Dai Er… I heard she has already reached the ninth stage of the Venerable realm. Tian Shu, you lost to her last time, so you must be careful this time.”
He mentioned not only Wen Dai Er but also other experts on the Heavenly Pride list.
Each of them was under thirty years old, the absolute geniuses of their respective families, possessing their own unique moves and secret techniques.
The Six Desires Sect had many experts, with five of them ranking within the top one hundred. There was also Penglai Island, but only the Young Island Master Duan Shu was well-known. He was a plump man, said to have reached the Spirit King realm.
The other four were only known by name, with very little other information available.
Listening to them, Su Luo didn’t hear any names from the Demonic Sect. Li Tian Jue explained, “Although the Heavenly Pride Competition does not have restrictions, generally speaking, people from the Demonic Sect do not come. They excel at sneak attacks or poisoning. Once they appear, they are attacked by everyone else. Over time, basically no one from the Demonic Sect participates.”
Su Luo nodded, “So that’s how it is.”
It was good that they weren’t coming; it would prevent the Heavenly Pride Competition from turning into a bloody mess with countless casualties.
“By the way, I should also remind Senior Brother…”
She also said with a half-smile, “The second-ranked person on the Heavenly Pride list, right after you, is the Holy Son Shui Xuan Mo of the Grand Beginning Holy Land. He is Shui Qing Yue’s brother, and he will definitely target you this time.”
Recalling the past events, Li Tian Jue frowned slightly.
Chu Tian Shu immediately sat up, “That’s right, Senior Brother. Shui Xuan Mo is so petty. His own sister suffered so much, and so many elders died. The Grand Beginning Holy Land will surely seek revenge this time.”
Lu Ji Xing exclaimed dramatically, “Oh dear, I’m so scared. Shui Xuan Mo, whose mind is as small as an ant… Bah, we haven’t even settled accounts with his Grand Beginning Holy Land, and he has the nerve to seek revenge on us?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the spirit ship suddenly swayed violently.
Boom!
It was as if they had collided with something.
The group, no longer in the mood for jokes, quickly got up. At this moment, another explosion occurred, and a crack appeared directly in the bow of the ship. The blaring alarm sounded, frightening Tang Xiao Guo into a shriek. She lost her balance and almost fell.
This was definitely not a collision with a flying bird; it was a sneak attack!
“What’s happening? What’s happening?”
From the cabin, Shang Xie Shao Qing and Du Wei rushed out like arrows. Li Tian Jue, however, was already at the bow, doing his best to control the operating device and prevent the spirit ship from crashing rapidly.
Su Luo and the others looked ahead. At some point, a luxurious three-decked spirit ship had appeared.
On the bow stood several young men and women, laughing and joking. One of them held a specially made silver crossbow and cackled loudly, “Hahaha, look how accurate I am! Both shots hit!”
“Brother Han is amazing! Fire another shot and send them down!”
“A small, broken ship, send them straight to hell…”
Su Luo and the others were furious upon hearing this.
They had barely left the borders of the Northern Underworld Empire, and a few insignificant brats had appeared to launch a surprise attack for no reason.
Do they want to die?!