Chapter 558: Entering the Island

With Zhou Ruxuan’s connections, it was a simple matter to borrow a boat from the Black Dragon Gang under the pretext of a leisurely outing.

“Wind!”

Holding the Jade Ruyi, Ming Nianwei gave it a gentle wave, and a violent yet orderly gale burst forth from thin air.

The gale pushed the pleasure boat, marked with the Black Dragon Gang’s insignia, into Ze Lake like an arrow loosed from a bowstring. The lake water parted on both sides, leaving a white wake trailing behind.

This masterful control over the Power of Heaven and Earth made Zhou Ruxuan’s expression shift slightly.

She knew of Ming Nianwei.

After all, there weren’t many famous Mages in Taiyuan Prefecture.

But in her memory, Ming Nianwei was merely striking in appearance, while her Talent for Cultivation Techniques was actually mediocre.

Still stuck at the Eighth Grade in her thirties, she might never have reached the Seventh Grade in her entire life.

Now, though?

Mid-Seventh Grade?

Upper-Seventh Grade?

And her spellcasting was as smooth as flowing water, nearly instantaneous. She probably wouldn’t even fear close-quarters combat.

Moreover, she had a Seventh-Grade Martial Artist as an attendant.

Such strength would be considered extraordinary not just in Taiyuan Prefecture, but even here. And yet, she acknowledged Zhu Ju as her master?

‘No matter how I think about it, something feels wrong.’

Zhou Ruxuan shot a look at Zhu Ju, but just as she was about to say something, Ming Nianwei finished casting her Magic and walked back. Zhou Ruxuan had no choice but to suppress her thoughts and sit up straight.

“Master.”

“We’ll be there in about an hour.”

“Mm,” Zhu Ju said, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed.

“Then we’ll wait.”

Zhou Ruxuan opened her mouth, then closed it again. She reached out to gently stroke her lower abdomen, her expression returning to normal.

‘No matter what this woman is planning, she can’t stir up any trouble in the face of absolute power.’

「One hour later.」

The pleasure boat arrived at a stretch of water filled with reefs and came to a stop.

Zhu Ju took the rope, and treating a reef that jutted out of the water as a mooring post, he flung it with a single hand.

“SWOOSH!”

The long, thick rope flew a distance of several meters, wrapping tightly around the reef and even tying a slipknot.

Seeing the boat was secure, he nodded and looked at the two women.

“Let’s go!”

“Yes.”

Ming Nianwei waved a single hand. A gust of wind split into several strands, enveloping the four of them and carrying them forward in a gentle float.

Floating Skill!

This Magic couldn’t let one soar to the heavens, but it did allow for a brief departure from the ground.

Floating in mid-air, two adjacent, desolate islands came into view.

“It’s them!”

The scene, exactly as she remembered it, entered her sight. Ming Nianwei’s body trembled with excitement.

“The terrain at the entrance hasn’t changed much. The treasure shouldn’t have been taken yet.”

“Land!”

She waved the Jade Ruyi, controlling their descent to the shore. She was about to step forward and head up the island.

“Wait a moment.”

Zhu Ju held up a hand to stop them, pointing at the ground beneath their feet.

“A trap!”

“Hm?” Ming Nianwei’s lovely eyes flashed.

“It’s the Wood Burning Explosion Skill. Once you fall into the trap, you’ll be hit by an indiscriminate attack of countless wooden spikes.”

“A Mage has been here!”

She realized it instantly, her expression changing drastically.

“Not only has she been here, but she also discovered something was amiss on the island. That’s why she set up an Array here.”

“Correct,” Zhu Ju nodded.

“The good news is, since the Array is still here, it means this Mage hasn’t entered the Treasure Storage.”

If they had gone in and taken the Treasure, there would have been no need to leave a trap behind.

“Ahem!”

Zhou Ruxuan coughed lightly.

“I may not know much about the methods of Mages, but we just flew over here so brazenly. If there’s anyone guarding this island, I’m afraid they’ve already discovered us.”

Indeed.

“Watch out!”

Mok Ying, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke out. His figure flashed and he appeared at Ming Nianwei’s side.

The Longsword at his waist flew from its sheath with a CLANG. Accompanied by a flash of cold light, several severed arrow shafts now stuck askew in the ground.

At the same time, a long spear appeared in Zhou Ruxuan’s hand, its tip as bright as if carved from ice crystals.

With a light shake of the spear’s shaft, several Hidden Weapons clattered to the ground.

“Who are you people?”

A group of burly men holding Weapons charged out of the dense forest. They brandished sabers and swords, their bodies emanating a thick Evil Qi.

One of them spoke in a low voice:

“Big Brother said to kill whoever comes. We can’t let them ruin his plans.”

“Then let’s not waste any more words.”

The burly, full-bearded man’s face turned vicious.

“Get them!”

“One Sixth-Grade, three Seventh-Grade, and the rest…” Zhu Ju shook his head gently and gestured to Ming Nianwei.

“Leave no one alive.”

“Yes.”

Ming Nianwei nodded in assent. The Jade Ruyi in her hand pulsed with a faint halo of light, and countless Wind Blades materialized from thin air.

Ten Thousand Ridges Technique!

This technique came from Zhu Ju.

With his guidance, Ming Nianwei had re-forged the Jade Ruyi, raising its quality by a full grade.

The Magic imbued within it was also switched to the Ten Thousand Ridges Technique, though it could only be used three times.

After those three uses, the Jade Ruyi would shatter.

But the power of those three uses was comparable to that of the Sixth-Grade Peak.

“BZZZZ…”

In an instant, thousands of palm-sized Wind Blades filled the empty space before them, rushing toward the charging crowd in a mad slaughter.

These Wind Blades seemed unremarkable, but they could slice through metal and shatter jade; even a Seventh-Grade Martial Artist would have to be careful when facing them.

“PFFT!”

“PFFT! PFFT…”

In the span of just a few breaths, the charging group of men were reduced to corpses strewn across the ground.

Only three survived, and even they were covered in wounds.

“A Mage!”

“A Sixth-Grade Mage?”

Run!

The three men’s expressions changed drastically. Without needing to exchange a single glance, they fled in different directions.

“After them.”

Ming Nianwei gestured to Mok Ying.

“Don’t let them get away. That other Mage probably isn’t on the island. This is our chance.”

As she spoke, she cast the Floating Skill on herself and chased after one of them.

Seeing the two of them move away, Zhou Ruxuan quickly spoke up.

“Zhu Ju, I don’t think this Ming Nianwei can be trusted. Her Cultivation and her strength are too great. I fear she has ulterior motives for hiding in Taiyuan Prefecture. Besides, how could she possibly acknowledge you as her master?”

“Experts have their pride. Even if you saved her life, she wouldn’t repay the debt like this.”

“Don’t worry,” Zhu Ju said with a faint smile.

“It’ll be fine. Let’s find the Treasure Storage first.”

“You…” Zhou Ruxuan stomped her foot. Seeing that Zhu Ju was already walking ahead, she hurried to catch up.

The two of them avoided the traps and made their way to a spot halfway up the mountain. Before long, Ming Nianwei and Mok Ying arrived one after the other.

“The men have been dealt with, but I’m afraid what happened here has already been discovered.”

Ming Nianwei’s expression was grim.

“We need to enter the Treasure Storage as soon as possible, otherwise we’ll be in trouble.”

There were many powerful gangs near Ze Lake, the Black Dragon Gang being only one of them. And when faced with a great Treasure, no one’s reputation would be enough to deter them.

“Mm,” Zhu Ju nodded.

“Is this the place?”

“That’s right.” Looking at the unremarkable rock face in front of them, Ming Nianwei nodded lightly.

“This is the art of Transforming Void into Solid. Only a Fifth-Grade Mage would have the means to cast this.”

As she spoke, she flicked a finger forward.

With no other visible movement from her, the rock face before them parted like flowing water, revealing a passage that led to who-knows-where.

“Tsk tsk…” Zhou Ruxuan clicked her tongue.

“Mages may not be physically strong, but their methods are extraordinary. A Fifth-Grade Martial Artist could never do something like this.”

“We can’t go in yet,” Ming Nianwei said with a forced smile.

“There’s another Array inside. With my current strength, it would be difficult to break.”

“Master…”

“Mm.”

Zhu Ju nodded, and with a slight raise of his hand, the Five Elements Mountain flew out on its own, scattering Five-Colored Divine Light downward.

“Step into the area covered by the divine light.”

“The Five-Colored Divine Light can suppress all things of the Five Elements, and that includes Arrays.”

“This…” Zhou Ruxuan was dumbfounded.

“Isn’t that my Mixed Element Stone?”

“That’s right.”

Zhu Ju nodded.

“The ancients bought the case but returned the pearl. Today, I have the discerning eye to recognize true treasure. You’re not thinking of asking for it back, are you?”

“…” Zhou Ruxuan pursed her lips, stepped into the area enveloped by the Five-Colored Divine Light, and followed them into the passage.

“I’d like to see for myself just what kind of good things are in this place you’ve all gone to such lengths to reach.”

“Miss Zhou,” Ming Nianwei said with a dazzling smile.

“I’m sure you’ll be amazed by what you see.”