On the other side, Madam Yao Guang waved her hand lightly, and a golden hairpin in her hair suddenly transformed into the spreading peacock. Its feathers quivered, emitting powerful energy that shielded the four Heavenly Maidens, including Wen Dai'er.
Everyone then understood where the divine bird peacock had gone; it had been transformed from a golden hairpin.
The people from Penglai Island were also quick to act. Young Master Duan Shu took out a yellow oil-paper umbrella, which spun rapidly in the sky, continuously releasing streams of golden light. Dozens of Penglai Island disciples were unharmed under the umbrella's coverage. No one dared to venture out, but everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Su Luo observed that Changsheng Palace, the Six Desires Cult, and Penglai Island each possessed their own means of protection. However, their Qingxu Heaven lacked any powerful weapons that could shield everyone.
The sky was as dark as ink, and lightning continued to strike unpredictably, potentially hitting the people of Qingxu Heaven at any moment.
Suddenly, Tang Xiaoguo remembered something and shouted, "Everyone gather around! I'm wearing the Golden Thread Jade Gauze Robe that Sister Su gave me. These lightning strikes can't harm me. As long as you are within three zhang of me, everyone will be safe."
Right, Su Luo finally remembered. She had indeed given Tang Xiaoguo a protective artifact earlier.
This was the Wing King's artifact, and though there was only one, it was perfectly suited for this situation!
All the people from Qingxu Heaven moved closer to Tang Xiaoguo. Indeed, lightning continued to strike, but it was blocked by an invisible barrier in the sky. Until the lightning subsided, no one was injured.
The sky gradually brightened, returning to daylight.
Everyone waited for a while, but no more lightning struck.
Duan Jinghong looked at the brightened sky and seemed to sigh in relief. He ordered the Sacred Light Pagoda to be put away and remarked, "As expected of the Life and Death Chasm. We've only been here for a short while and have already encountered danger twice. The appearance of these lightning strikes is mysterious and unfathomable, and their disappearance is also without warning. It's truly marvelous."
Shang Xie Zhuo stroked his long beard and said, "Regardless, it's a blessing that there weren't any major casualties. It seems everyone was prepared."
Madam Yao Guang, though stunningly beautiful, spoke sparingly, standing like a distant immortal, gently caressing her beloved peacock.
Her four female disciples by her side were unharmed. Wen Dai'er cast a glance at Chu Tianshu, seemingly asking if he was alright. Chu Tianshu winked at her, gesturing for her to come over, but Wen Dai'er dared not, shaking her head and remaining silent.
On the first day of entering the Life and Death Chasm, the group encountered various unexpected events.
Besides the mysteriously disappearing pool and the sudden lightning, as dusk approached, everyone encountered a swarm of man-eating locusts flying in from afar, like a giant green cloud.
This time, no one could escape. The sheer number and speed of the man-eating locusts were overwhelming. Even with the combined efforts of the three sect leaders, there were casualties. Many disciples were bitten by the locusts, and the most unfortunate were reduced to bare bones, a horrific sight.
It was finally Li Tianjue, along with all the practitioners of fire element within the group, who managed to burn the swarm of man-eating locusts to death, driving away the rest.
They never expected to encounter so many dangers on the first day in the Life and Death Chasm. As night fell, everyone gathered to rest and eat, their hearts heavy.
At this moment, Shang Xie Zhuo walked over with a smile, cupping his hands towards Li Tianjue and the others: "Young Master Li, are you all alright? I have something I wish to ask."
Li Tianjue stood up and returned the gesture: "Sect Leader Shang Xie, please speak."
Glancing at the darkening sky, Shang Xie Zhuo said with a chuckle, "Many things have happened today, and I believe everyone has gained a deeper understanding of the dangers of the Life and Death Chasm. I presume everyone knows the reason we are here."
Li Tianjue pondered: "Is it about the secret of becoming a god?"
Shang Xie Zhuo chuckled: "Let's not beat around the bush. My son is also a friend to you all, so I won't hide anything. That's right. Although the rumors of becoming a god were spread by Moluojia, the key figure in this matter is Sect Leader Bai of Qingxu Heaven. I have something I wish to confirm: do you know the specific whereabouts of Sect Leader Bai?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Shang Xie Shaoqing quickly said, "Father, why are you asking these questions? This is a secret of Qingxu Heaven. Asking so rashly is rather inappropriate!"
He then hurriedly said to Li Tianjue and Su Luo, "Brother Li, Luo Luo, my father means no harm. He's just asking casually. If you don't wish to answer, you don't have to."
After speaking, he gave Shang Xie Zhuo a displeased look, signaling him to stop.
Li Tianjue remained unperturbed, his expression calm. He first looked at Su Luo, seeking her opinion. The two exchanged a glance, and Su Luo nodded slightly, indicating that it was acceptable to speak.
After all, Shang Xie Shaoqing had spent a long time with them and was a good friend. Like father, like son, his character should be trustworthy. Moreover, Qingxu Heaven had always had a good relationship with Changsheng Palace. Now that they were searching for their sect leader, having an extra friend would be an added advantage.
"Sect Leader Shang Xie, please sit. Let's talk slowly," Li Tianjue gestured towards the bonfire in front of them.
"Very well, then I shall listen attentively."
Chu Tianshu and the others were also curious. Did their senior brother and junior sister truly know the whereabouts of their sect leader?
Li Tianjue began: "If Sect Leader Shang Xie is asking about my master's specific whereabouts, we do not know. Otherwise, we would have found our master long ago. However, we do have some clues, perhaps they can help us find our master, but we can only try."
Shang Xie Zhuo's spirits lifted: "Oh, is that true? What clues are they?"
Even Li Tianjue didn't know this; he had to ask Su Luo.
Su Luo picked up a half-burnt piece of firewood and drew crookedly on a stone. Everyone seemed to guess what she was drawing and stared at her intently. A winding route map appeared on the stone.
"We are currently at this location."
Su Luo pointed to the route map she had just drawn with the firewood and said to Shang Xie Zhuo, "Sect Leader Shang Xie, if our information is correct, Master might be at this location..."
She suddenly pointed the firewood to the very front of the route map, then circled back, pointing to the starting position in front of them: "Tomorrow, we will pass through here. Approximately one thousand li ahead is a majestic mountain range called the Four Directions Mountain Range. There is a mythical beast called a Mo Yao that has lived for tens of thousands of years in the mountains. It is said to feed on the marrow of living beings, so we must be extremely cautious."
"Mo Yao, I have heard of it. It is an ancient mythical beast, indeed very dangerous."
Shang Xie Zhuo stroked his beard and nodded thoughtfully, but then asked, "But why are you certain, Miss Su, that we should take this path tomorrow and encounter the Mo Yao? Most importantly, is Sect Leader Bai truly at this location?"
His gaze fell on the topmost position Su Luo had pointed to earlier.
Su Luo was also uncertain, as this map was the route displayed by the Jade Pendant in the Divine Eye Mirror. Whether it was true or not, they could only find out by going there.
She shook her head: "No one knows our master's whereabouts. Currently, we are just guessing. But we must pass through here and enter the Four Directions Mountain Range. We are bound to encounter the Mo Yao; there is no way around it."