The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 180 The Secret Realm of the Floating Life Continent is Confirmed

"Don't rush, I still have many stories to tell. Ye Fan's matter isn't that important." Elder Wanshun finished the last mouthful of soy milk in his bowl. Then he continued, "Next, let's talk about the Floating Life Continent. There are rumors that the Floating Life Continent was built on the ruins of the battlefield between gods and demons millions of years ago. Of course, the truth of the legend is impossible to verify."

But that continent truly holds countless wonders and mysteries. At the heart of the Floating Life Continent lies an ancient temple, said to seal the most powerful divine and demonic forces of antiquity. Every full moon, the temple's seal weakens considerably, and adventurers yearning for power attempt to enter, searching for legendary divine and demonic relics. Some seek power, others to uncover the truth of history, and still others to prove their courage and wisdom.

On the edge of the Floating Continent lies a place called the "Shadow Swamp," shrouded in mist year-round, inhabited by mysterious creatures capable of manipulating shadows. These creatures weave invisible nets deep within the swamp, awaiting lost travelers. Known as "Shadow Phantoms," they can merge with shadows, silently approaching their prey and striking with deadly precision at the most unexpected moment.

At the southernmost tip of the continent lies a mountain called "Wind Whisperer," its summit perpetually shrouded in mist. Legend has it that an ancient race dwells there, capable of communicating with the wind. They guard a secret: the Source of Wind. It is said that whoever controls the power of the Source of Wind can control the winds of the entire continent. This race is known as the "Wind Spirits," possessing an innate ability to manipulate the wind, enabling them to fly using its power and even create powerful storms.

Elder Wanshun paused, his gaze lingering on the distant horizon, as if he had traveled through time and returned to the era of those ancient legends. He slowly continued, "Of course, these stories are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many secret realms on the Floating Life Continent, realms that originally existed only in legends. However, three days ago, all of this was confirmed. I received a distress call from the Shadows. People from the secret realms have appeared in the Black Forest."

"What? Shadow, you mean Shadow under Chu Ji's command?" Qi Yuan asked excitedly.

"Yes, Shadow is an inner disciple of the Xuantian Sect. Twenty years ago, he was sent to the Floating Life Continent to monitor the Wuji Sect's spies. His original mission was to gather intelligence, but he didn't expect to get involved in a much larger conspiracy."

"Wait, is it really that easy to teleport between different worlds?" Shen Lixi asked.

"Yes and no. Besides Earth, the Floating Life Continent, the Profound Heaven Continent, and the Illusionary Star Continent have left behind many teleportation arrays built by that cultivator of the Time and Space Dao. However, they require a huge amount of top-grade spirit stones to activate," Elder Wan Shun replied. "These teleportation arrays were built by ancient cultivators to facilitate travel between different worlds, but as time has passed, many teleportation arrays have been damaged or forgotten."

"How is Shadow doing now?" Luo Yifei asked anxiously.

Elder Wanshun sighed softly, his tone heavy: "In his distress letter, Shadow mentioned that he had discovered a huge conspiracy that not only affects the balance of the Floating Life Continent but may also impact our Xuan Tian Continent. He requested support, but by the time the letter reached me, it was too late. According to reliable sources, Shadow has disappeared, and his fate is unknown."

"Then what should we do?" Qi Yuan frowned, clearly uneasy about the news.

"We must find Shadow as soon as possible and understand the conspiracy he discovered. At the same time, we must also be prepared to prevent this conspiracy from affecting our continent." Elder Wan Shun's tone was firm, clearly indicating that he had made preparations to deal with it.

"When shall we depart?" Shen Lixi asked, her eyes gleaming with determination.

"No rush, you probably still have many questions for me, and I will answer everything I know," Elder Wanshun asked.

"Rumors are circulating that the Xuantian Sect has captured the swordsmen of the Tang Clan. Is that true?" Qi Yuan asked.

"You mean Song Han and the others? We met them once at the City Lord's Mansion in Wanghe City, but they were taken away by the Tang family. The Tang family of Lanzhou in Huanchen Continent. There is no Tang Clan in Huanchen Continent, but there is a Tang family. It is said that they share the same origin as the Tang Clan in Xuantian Continent."

"I see. So what is the connection between the Tang family and the Tang Clan?" Shen Lixi pressed.

Elder Wanshun pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Although the Tang family and the Tang sect share the same origin, they have long since parted ways. The Tang family possesses immense power on the Illusionary Star Continent, while the Tang sect develops on the Floating Life Continent. Although they share a bloodline connection, they have significant differences in interests and ideologies. The Tang family's power in the Blue Continent is deeply rooted, while the Tang sect has carved out its own path on the Floating Life Continent. There are very few direct conflicts between the two."

"So what is the relationship between our Xuantian Sect and the Tang family?" Qi Yuan continued to ask.

“Our Xuantian Sect has a relatively peaceful relationship with the Tang family, with no direct conflicts. However, considering the Tang family’s connection with the Tang Clan, we remain somewhat wary of them,” Elder Wanshun replied.

"In that case, what is our next course of action?" Luo Yifei asked.

Elder Wanshun waved his hand at Luo Yifei and looked at Qi Yuan, saying, "Don't rush, this young brother probably still has some questions."

How did Tang Xiao die?

"I don't know. I can confirm it wasn't the Wuji Sect, and it certainly couldn't be our Xuantian Sect. Rumors in the martial world say it was our Xuantian Sect that did it, but that's not true. There's been a force manipulating these rumors. If it wasn't the Illusion Pavilion, then it could only be the Star Palace. And all they did was, of course, for the power of the Heavenly Dao. Alright, now open the bamboo slip. We haven't discussed the matter of Qingluan Valley yet," Elder Wanshun said.

Upon hearing this, Luo Yifei slowly unfolded the bamboo slip, which was covered with strange symbols and patterns, seemingly containing some profound meaning.

Elder Wanshun took a closer look, frowned, and after a moment of contemplation, said, "What you saw should be Ye Fan himself."

"Then what does he want to do with us?" Su An, who had been silent until now, asked.

"He wants the Xuan Tian Sect to do something. Oh, right, I haven't told you about your master yet. He has resigned from his position as sect leader, changed his Daoist name to Tian Xing, and vowed to ascend the final Heavenly Ladder. Most of his people went with him, and the rest will return to the Xuan Tian Continent with me. Now, let's continue with Qing Luan Valley. Most of the elders and some outstanding inner disciples of the Illusion Pavilion and Star Palace left the Illusion Star Continent through the Heavenly Gate, but a few elders' clones stayed behind. They besieged Qing Luan Valley. Qing Luan Valley was wiped out; not a single disciple survived. The sect leader, Heroine Qing Luan, is missing and her whereabouts are still unknown. Protector Qing Ming was seriously injured, and his body was found in the secluded valley a couple of days ago. The two major sects, along with many smaller sects, besieged Qing Luan Valley for the Illusion Star Pearl, but they probably didn't find it."