How come the celestial technique I stole is so powerful?!

But she laughed heartily: "Hey, buddy, what's up with that Feng Ji? Calling you 'husband' in public, huh."

"Well... she's from Kun Cang, where the terms are a bit different from what's shown in TV dramas. The word 'husband' usually needs to be broken down. 'Xiang,' meaning nobility, and 'Gong,' meaning a ranking official, together form 'husband,' which is a respectful term for adult men... yeah, respectful."

"Is that so?" Hu Ya was a bit confused.

"Let's not talk about this!" Lin Xiaosu said, "Any news from the other two places?"

As the orthodox words came out, Hu Ya immediately responded: "When I came over just now, Number 8 was urgently repairing the communications, go check it out."

Repairing communications actually meant adjusting frequencies.

Space changed, magnetic fields were altered, and wavelength frequencies were in chaos.

All communications were also abnormal.

But after a night's adjustment, it should be almost done.

Lin Xiaosu and Hu Ya arrived at the platform of Liu Lin Temple, Number 8 saluted: "Chief Commander, civilian communications have not yet been restored, but the special band can now connect, there's news from Southern Border of the South Sea."

"Speak!"

"Over at South Sea, twenty-three nuclear bombs were deployed, blasting the encroaching Qi Jiao and Li Wan into oblivion, the situation is basically under control, but the Southern Border's situation is quite strange..."

"How strange?" Lin Xiaosu asked.

"Originally, our line of defense was about to be breached by the enemy; suddenly a snow-white turtle altered the energy flow of that area, making that land no longer suitable for Enlightenment Realm, converting the high-altitude battle between immortals into a ground assault, King Lantian and a little cat were invincible in that area, slashing through over a hundred Enlightenment Realm enemies, forcing several thousand back."

Lin Xiaosu's eyes lit up: "Snow Turtle, Ao Ji activated?"

"Chief Commander, you know? That turtle is called Snow Turtle. The people on the Cultivation Path say it's a Snowfield Holy Turtle. Its strongest guardian way is the Guardian Divine Domain, equality for all beings. It means pulling everyone's cultivation to the same platform, and that little cat can transform into a ten-zhang giant cat, incredibly fierce, even leaping up to hunt down a giant of the Enlightenment Realm, above Enlightenment Realm combat strength! In this domain of equality, at present, no one should be able to go beyond."

"Great! Great! Absolutely great news!" Lin Xiaosu praised thrice, suddenly his brow furrowed: "Show me the South Sea battle report."

"Yes!"

Number 8 placed a hand on the edge of Dragon Eye.

The South Sea battle report appeared in the void.

Qi Jiao vaporized under the nuclear bombs, the exotic ancient bird Li Wan vaporized within the nuclear bomb, occasional breaches were cleared by arrays and Kun Cang experts.

For the Mortal World, this battle was like a sci-fi blockbuster, extremely intense.

But it must also be admitted, compared to their experiences last night, this battle seemed not particularly difficult...

"They used twenty-three nuclear bombs, they are really willing, huh, little Su, I think we were too conservative last night. If we had been like them and used nuclear bombs from the start, dropping dozens, the battle would have been much easier," Hu Ya said.

"Number 49 is wrong!" Number 8 said: "The use of nuclear bombs has its scenarios. For instance, on this Island, where there are only exotic beasts, nuclear bombs can easily complete the sweep. But if there's a sect, it's a different scene altogether, we also saw firsthand, sect experts, nuclear bombs cannot kill them."

"That's true..." Hu Ya gazed at Lin Xiaosu, suddenly slightly startled: "What's wrong?"

At this moment, Lin Xiaosu's face was very serious.

"The situation is not good!" Lin Xiaosu said: "Immediately communicate with South Sea Command, be wary of any sect there!"

"Sect? That can't be right?" Number 8 said: "If there was a sect, wouldn't they have appeared earlier?"

"Qi Jiao and Li Wan! These two exotic beasts can interbreed, once interbred, they'd produce a new species called 'Four-winged Blood Flood Dragon.' Four-winged Blood Flood Dragon is one of the best mounts in Desolate Ancient Realm!" Lin Xiaosu said: "In natural conditions, Qi Jiao and Li Wan have their territories, they rarely appear in the same area, so having so many Qi Jiao and Li Wan in one place was already abnormal. The only explanation is they are sect-raised, breeding mounts for the sect!"

Number 8 was startled: "I'll notify immediately!"

Went into the Taoist Temple, activated the special communication channel.

Lin Xiaosu said: "Hu Ya, you should station here."

"Okay, and you?"

"I've got to go to the South Sea!"

"I'll go with you!"

"No, you should stay here and organize people to calm the villagers, explaining this sudden emergence of such a large forest is not feasible through cinema, come dawn, all the villagers will be in chaos…" Lin Xiaosu said: "Don't worry about me, I'll find someone to accompany me!"

Hu Ya said: "For me to be at ease, unless the person you find is... that old Taoist!"

Lin Xiaosu glanced around, there was no one: "Darling Ya Ya, you guessed it right."

"Ah!" Hu Ya bounced up, hung onto his neck, spun around: "You're too amazing, you really won him over, that's definitely a hundred times more valuable than winning over Feng Ji, remember from now on, less winning over women, more winning over elders…"

"...Alright!"

Smooch!

Hu Ya kissed him.

"It's wartime now, emotions in check!" Lin Xiaosu felt her bodily enthusiasm.

"I'm already very restrained." Hu Ya twisted in his arms, leaning towards his ear: "This entire forest is now connected, I haven't even taken you into the forest, isn't that restraint?"

Oh my God, this girl is getting excited.

This is really not the time to fool around.

If something goes wrong over at South Sea, it'll really be a mess.

Lin Xiaosu let go, casting his gaze toward the Taoist Temple entrance, Number 8 dashed out: "Chief Commander, Professor Lin from South Sea wanted me to convey to you, your warning was correct, Wing Blade entered that area and has already discovered a sect."

Lin Xiaosu stepped out of the Taoist Temple platform, on the cliff edge ahead, Mad Taoist looked quietly in the direction of the county town.

The county town could still be seen.

But the north was completely different.

The previous north had Xiangxi flowing down the valley, merging into Yishui, but now, in the north, mountains suddenly rose, the terrain undulating without knowing how many miles.

The former township was the nearest to the county town, villagers could walk to the county town.

But now, that town was separated from the county town by endless mountains and rivers.

Life is truly wondrous.

The Mad Taoist slowly turned back: "Kid, by the look in your eyes, it seems you're planning something against me."

"Look at you, Taoist. We're on the same boat here; what are you talking about with planning against each other?" Lin Xiaosu said. "Over at the South Sea, there's a sect. I want to ask you to come along with me."

"I don't usually go far, unless..."

"Add money!" Lin Xiaosu completed for him.

"How much?" The Mad Taoist's eyes lit up.

"Name your price!"

"3000!"

"3000... is there a ten thousand at the end?"

The Mad Taoist looked at him as if he were an idiot.

Lin Xiaosu reached out and handed him a stack of bills: "Here's ten thousand yuan. The remaining seven thousand is for our conversations on the road."

The Mad Taoist finally smiled: "The ticket's on you."

Lin Xiaosu raised his hand, and a Wing Blade soared into the sky...

"My ride, no tickets!" Lin Xiaosu stepped aboard, and the Mad Taoist followed suit...

Ssshh!

The Wing Blade broke into the deep sky, flying southward.

Its speed instantly reached ten Mach.

At such high speed, theoretically, there was no way to have a conversation on the Wing Blade.

However, at this moment, the Wing Blade was not a high-tech weapon; it was a puppet with its own tranquil space on its back.

Conversations were possible.

Lin Xiaosu said, "Taoist, give me a special rate, ten yuan per word. Now I can bump it up a hundred-fold, one thousand yuan per word. I gave you an extra seven thousand, so give me seven words in response, how about it?"

"Seven words answer?" The Mad Taoist squinted his eyes: "You actually already thought of the answer, but you just want me to say it out loud?"

"Yes!"

"Tell me!" The Mad Taoist leisurely sat down on the Wing Blade's back, seemingly the type who would never stand if he could sit, and never sit if he could lie down.

"I want you to tell me these seven words: Sign an agreement with the Sect Master!"

Sign an agreement with the Sect Master.

Indeed, it's seven words.

But these seven words, how thrilling are they?

To ordinary people, signing an agreement with the invaders would be compromise.

However, the agreement to sign, as proposed by Lin Xiaosu, was a move of unparalleled brilliance.

Using the Law of Cause and Effect as the foundation, sign the agreement.

Enlist the suddenly appeared sect in the South Sea for oneself to use, and employ that sect to block that passage.

What sort of agreement is this?

This is directly subduing a great sect from a Strange Realm.

"Kid, just signed an agreement with Li Qianzong, tasted the sweetness, huh?" The Mad Taoist remarked.

"That's right!"

"So, here's the answer to solve the South Sea problem, wanting that newly emerged sect to also become your loyal follower?"

"Taoist, you should know, this is the ideal solution."

"Of course, it's the ideal solution. However, kid, you need to know... this is completely different from subduing Li Qianzong!" The Mad Taoist said: "Li Qianzong was trapped in the array and eager to escape; you were genuinely his savior. The causality you concluded is a natural causality."

"Understood!"

The Mad Taoist said, "But this newly emerged sect likely doesn't have a fatal shackle. They have no reason to sign an agreement with you."

"So, I need you to guide me out of this puzzle, on how to create causality from nothing."

"Kid, leading you to the Gate of Cause and Effect might have been a mistake!" The Mad Taoist lightly sighed: "You really don't understand, there's no such thing as causality from nothing. All causalities in the world come with a price."

"I am willing to pay the price!"

"What kind of price are you willing to pay?"

"That depends on what price you require, Taoist."

"Are you willing to pay any price?"

"Willing!"

"Even if from now on you carry a burden as heavy as a mountain, step by step into danger? Even if it means death where there's no reincarnation? Even if it means not seeing the light of day for millions of years, a life worse than death?" The Mad Taoist asked a series of three questions, advancing step by step, seemingly full of fate, and yet drawing one's will inch by inch into an abyss of ten thousand feet.

"The first and the third, yes; the second, no!"

"Cannot accept death where there's no reincarnation?"

"Yes!"

The Mad Taoist stared at him for a long time: "Everyone cherishes life. Other than death, everything else is trivial. But you should also know, in this world, there are actually many ways of living that are more unbearable than death!"

"Death, in fact, I am not afraid of! It's just that, at this moment, my life, it seems, is not my own!"