Just as he was about to execute his flawless plan of bringing in backup from the Tongyou Peak, the appearance of the moon disrupted his scheme.
Shang Xia quickly made his way back up as he saw the ball of colorful light frozen in place. The light that covered it started to fade, revealing a translucent sphere that was the size of a fist.
Was that the Fantasy Spiritual Pearl?
Shang Xia rushed towards the item as quickly as he could.
Who would have thought that the pearl would disappear all of a sudden? It seemed to have teleported away from its location, causing Shang Xia to grab at air.
Raising his head, he could see the pearl floating slowly into the air. It seemed to resonate with the moon hanging high above their heads.
“Quick! The moon has appeared! Find it!”
Murong Danran exclaimed. It seemed as though he was in a hurry to find it!
In order to look for the pearl, the three of them decided to split up to search.
“This way! Quick!” Sima Like’s voice rang through the air to gather the rest.
At the same time, she leaped into the air to grab at the ball of light that was rising up from the water surface.
“Wait! Don’t grab it now! You have to wait for the white glow to fade before it will reveal its true body!” Murong Danran’s anxious cry came from the side.
Like Shang Xia, Sima Like ended up with a handful of air.
“Brother Danran, why didn’t you say so earlier?!” Sima Like rebuked immediately.
Murong Danran walked to the closest platform he could find and his expression finally loosened up a little after seeing the pearl. Heaving a sigh of relief, he turned to Sima Like and revealed an awkward smile, “I… I forgot…”
By that time, Yuwen Changtian had also arrived. He glanced at Murong Danran and muttered, “Brother Murong, we’re all working together now. I don’t care what selfish motives you have, you better tell us everything you know. Otherwise, you can’t blame us for the misunderstanding.”
A bitter smile formed on Murong Danran’s face.
As Yuwen Changtian turned to look at the ball of light that was slowly dimming, he frowned, “Brother Danran, what is your plan exactly? Are you still unwilling to tell us now?”
A light flashed in his eyes, and he seemed to struggle with himself for a moment. Finally, he sighed, “Indeed… Other than controlling the Mountain and Sea Fantasy Spiritual World, I require the pearl to deepen my understanding on void and reality qi. I hope to comprehend an illusion-type marital intent to reach the grand completion stage of the Martial Extremity Realm.”
Sima Like sneered, “I might not know much about formation, but I know that the Fantasy Spiritual Pearl is an illusion-type treasure. If you really plan to comprehend void and reality qi, you will have to wait for the pearl to appear. Not only would we have to wait for you to complete your comprehension before using the pearl to look for the diagram, but we also have to protect you when you’re deep in comprehension. Am I wrong?”
Murong Danran could only chuckle awkwardly, “I hope you can help me out…”
Sima Like sneered softly without speaking.
Yuwen Changtian sighed at the side, “It makes sense for the elders back in the organization to want to support people of our generation. He probably taught you about the illusionary martial intent too. However, why did you hide it from us?”
Murong Danran’s expression twisted unnaturally.
A snort left Sima Like’s lips and she explained in his stead, “Of course it’s because his cultivation will damage the Fantasy Spiritual Pearl… He might need to draw on its origin power, causing the pearl to shatter!”
Yuwen Changtian’s expression sank and a cold light flashed through his eyes when he looked at Murong Danran.
“It will not! At worst, the pearl will be weakened slightly. I won’t destroy it!”
Murong Danran saw the smirk on Sima Like’s face and he couldn’t help but grumble silently in his heart.
Yuwen Changtian thought about it for a moment and he continued, “What about the core diagram for the formation? You said that after the pearl appears, we’ll be able to follow it to obtain the core diagram.”
“The moment it appears, the two of you can go ahead and retrieve it. Even if I fail my comprehension or if the moon starts to set, the pearl won’t disappear immediately.” Murong Danran explained.
“So… The diagram can also restrain the pearl?” Yuwen Changtian asked.
Murong Danran continued his explanation, “It doesn’t restrain the pearl. Instead, the two items attract each other. The reason the Fantasy Spiritual Pearl managed to run about itself is because the Mountain and Sea Fantasy Grand Formation stopped working. Once you find the core diagram, you will be able to obtain the pearl with its assistance.”
Yuwen Changtian and Sima Like looked at each other silently for a second.
Finally, Sima Like broke the silence with a cold snort. “Murong Danran, you owe us for this!”
Murong Danran could only nod helplessly.
“Alright. It’s decided. You can see if the pearl is still as useful after so many years of the formation’s deactivation…”
A smile finally appeared on Murong Danran’s face.
When the three of them were negotiating with each other, the glow around the pearl had almost fully faded. Its true form was revealed to the world.
There seemed to be rainbow-colored lights swirling within.
“Please!” Murong Danran Tried his best to hide his excitement and a jade pendant appeared in his hand. Crushing it, it seemed to summon a ball of smog that dragged his body over to the Fantasy Spiritual Pearl.
“Floating Talisman! Hah… He planned for this a long time ago!” Sima Like sneered in contempt. After Yuwen Changtian looked at the thick mist under Murong Danran’s feet, he swept his gaze across the surroundings. “We need to find the core diagram right now!”
As the words left his lips, a white pulse of light emerged from the pear.
They felt their souls trembling slightly before returning to their body. The effects were weirdly satisfying.
“Relax. This is an effect of the Fantasy Spiritual Pearl. It’s trying to call out to the core diagram.” Murong Danran’s voice echoed through the air.
“There!” Sima Like pointed towards the pool of water beneath them.
Yuwen Changtian’s gaze followed her and saw a giant scroll flickering under the surface.
“It’s actually down below!” An unsightly expression appeared on Yuwen Changtian’s face.
All of a sudden, Murong Danran’s voice rang in their minds again. “You need to obtain the core diagram as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the pearl will disappear once the moon sets and we’ll have to wait for it to appear again!”
Yuwen Changtian looked at Sima Like helplessly. “I’m really bad with water… Even though I can forcefully hold my breath and travel underwater, my actions will be slow and clumsy…”
A chuckle left Sima Like’s lips. “It’s fine. I’ll head down then!”
Yuwen Changtian heaved a sigh of relief. “Be careful. I’ll be here in case anything happens.”
“I have a Water Walking Talisman on me…” Murong Danran’s voice came again.
“It’s alright. The talisman won’t be of much use to this young lady over here.” As soon as she spoke, she tossed down some clothes before diving deep into the water below.
Yuwen Changtian looked at her graceful figure swimming through the water and couldn’t help but admire her curves.
Watching her approach the diagram quickly, Yuwen Changtian heaved a sigh of relief. His gaze returned to the land as he started to inspect his surroundings. He didn’t forget that there was a hidden expert out there who killed two of their fellow disciples.
With this much disturbance, the killer would definitely appear!
“Are you still wary of the killer?” Murong Danran’s voice rang in his mind. A wisp of inner qi emerged from his finger and wrapped around the pearl.
Noticing the cautious expression on Yuwen Changtian’s face, he continued, “Do you want me to summon a Martial Intent Realm expert over?”
Ever since Sima Like entered the water, an uneasy feeling gathered in his heart. His gaze jumped from one rock structure to another, but he failed to catch anyone.
Murong Danran couldn’t help but continue, “Even though he was extremely strong previously, he suffered some injuries. He hid somewhere in the Coral Forest all this time to treat his injuries. Nothing can go wrong here. He’s the only one who can reach us in time if I call him now.”
Yuwen Changtian could no longer take his incessant chatter. “Can you shut up? Did the elders in your clan teach you how to be distracted when cultivating?”
Murong Danran’s expression sank and he couldn’t be bothered with Yuwen Changtian anymore. He focused all his energy on comprehending his martial intent.
All of a sudden, faint ripples came from under the surface. The fluctuations became stronger and stronger, and the waves crashed against the structures around them.
The commotion drew the attention of both cultivators on the surface.
“Did Young Lady Sima obtain the core diagram?” Yuwen Changtian glanced at Murong Danran before turning his gaze into the water down below.
“Do you think… Do you think it’s possible for the killer to be hiding underwater?” Murong Danran asked.
No longer able to bear with his nonsense, Yuwen Changtian raised his head to snap at Murong Danran. He held his tongue when he saw Murong Danran’s shocked expression.
His heart sank as he quickly tilted his head downwards. He saw a giant explosion coming from below as crimson-colored water filled the air.