The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 94 Divine Artifacts Aid in Transcending Time to Reach the Misty Forest

Luo Family Village, Qingzhou, Cai Kingdom, Fantasy Continent.

"Why do we have to come back here for the ceremony? Couldn't we find a secluded place?" Shi Hao asked.

"This is too smooth! I spent three months on the Floating Life Continent and gained nothing. Now, on the Illusionary Star Continent, we've collected all five divine artifacts in just ten days," Luo Yifei said.

“Something is definitely not right. The five divine artifacts were obtained by us so easily. It was probably arranged beforehand. Ever since I rescued Sanmu and started searching for the time tunnel, I’ve felt a force pushing me forward. When I’m clueless, I always encounter people who give me hints. On several occasions, I’m certain that it was that person named Wen Bin who was helping me, either openly or secretly,” Han Yue added.

“No need to guess, it’s him. In my first year on the Xuan Tian Continent, I followed almost the route he had planned, and then a year later, I obtained spiritual power by chance in a cave. Perhaps it wasn’t a coincidence at all, but rather a premeditated plan by Wen Bin.” Shen Lixi looked at Han Yue.

"So, it all comes down to the same question: what exactly is his purpose? Before returning to Shijiazhuang, I really want to figure out what his purpose is," Shi Hao said.

"Shi Hao, do you still remember the inscription beneath the statue on the island in the middle of the lake inside our barrier?" Luo Yifei asked.

"You mean the celestial messenger, the method of crossing over?" Shi Hao asked疑惑地.

“That’s right. They are envoys from the Immortal Realm. What is the purpose of martial arts training on the Floating Life Continent? What is the purpose of cultivation on the Profound Heaven Continent? And what is the purpose of the cultivators on the Illusionary Star Continent?” Luo Yifei continued to ask.

Han Yue tapped the table and said, "For strengthening the body, for prolonging life, for immortality. For the path to immortality, for attaining the Dao and becoming an immortal. So we're still stuck on this issue. If the path to immortality really opens on time as rumored, what does it truly mean? Is it a blessing or a curse for our world?"

“I don’t know…” Shen Lixi shook her head.

“That’s right, it’s the path to immortality. What do you need? A method to travel through time.” Luo Yifei said, then looked at Shi Hao.

Shi Hao recalled the inscription on the base of the statue and said, "Earth as the base, find a handful of earth. Fire on top, light a fire. Wood plus metal, place an iron pot on a wooden frame. Water at the top, put water in the iron pot. When the fire goes out and the water boils, the tunnel opens."

Luo Yifei nodded and looked at Han Yue.

"We obtained the Golden Dagger in Luo Family Village, which is of the metal element. We traded the Illusionary Spirit Fruit for the Purple Cloud Sword, which is of the earth element. We bought the God-Slaying Whip, which is of the wood element, for one hundred taels of silver. We traded the Undying Grass for the Soul-Summoning Bell, which is of the fire element. We found the Ghost Grass and traded it for the Black Tortoise Shield, which is of the water element. We also got an extra Wind and Fire Wheel, which is of the fire element. Looking back now, it was all too easy. Although the several battles against the demonic beasts were very dangerous, we were able to win them all by working together," Han Yue analyzed.

Luo Yifei then looked at Shen Lixi.

"The five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—correspond to the five divine artifacts. In order, earth is at the bottom, with the Purple Cloud Sword at the very bottom. Fire is on top, with the Soul-Summoning Bell on top. Wood is combined with metal, so the God-Slaying Whip is wrapped around the golden dagger. Water is at the very top, with the Black Tortoise Shield on top." Shen Lixi said, placing the five divine artifacts in their respective positions.

But he also had an extra ring on his hand.

"Perhaps this fire wheel has other uses," Han Yue said, looking at the ring in Shen Lixi's hand.

"The fire is extinguished and the water is boiled. Place the Soul-Summoning Bell under the Purple Cloud Sword, and remove the Black Tortoise Shield." Shen Lixi said, taking the Black Tortoise Shield.

The five divine artifacts began to emit a dazzling light, enveloping the four of them.

"Wait, should we go to Earth or the Floating Continent?" Luo Yifei shouted.

"Floating Life Continent," Han Yue and Shi Hao said simultaneously.

The light faded, and the four found themselves in an unfamiliar place.

"Where is this?" Shi Hao asked.

"The Floating Life Continent," Luo Yifei said.

“No, we’ve been to many places on the Floating Life Continent, this is definitely not it,” Han Yue said.

“That’s right, there’s no such place on the Floating Life Continent,” Shen Lixi said.

The four stood in a dense forest, surrounded by towering trees, the ground covered with a thick carpet of leaves. The sky was obscured by the leaves, and the sunlight was nowhere to be seen. The air was humid, and the fog was thick, making it possible to see only a dozen meters ahead.

"Be careful, something's not right here," Luo Yifei said.

“That’s right, there seems to be something wrong with this fog,” Han Yue said.

"This mist seems to corrode spiritual energy," Shi Hao said.

“Yes, my spiritual power is decreasing,” Shen Lixi said.

The four of them used their spiritual power to dispel the fog around them as they moved towards a place where the fog was thinner.

After walking for about half an hour, we finally arrived at a slightly open area. The fog had thinned considerably, and we could see clearly for dozens of meters.

“This looks like a valley,” Han Yue said.

“No, there’s something wrong with this fog,” Luo Yifei said again.

"What's the problem?" Shi Hao asked.

"This mist seems to absorb our spiritual energy," Luo Yifei said.

“That’s right, my spiritual power is decreasing,” Shen Lixi said.

"I feel very tired, and my spiritual energy is being depleted very quickly," Han Yue also said.

"We can't stay here for too long; we need to find a way to leave as soon as possible," Luo Yifei said.

"But the fog seems to be everywhere, how do we leave?" Shi Hao asked.

“Perhaps we should go up,” Shen Lixi said, looking up at the misty sky.

“Yes, this fog is coming down from above. If we go up, we’ll definitely find a way out,” Han Yue said.

The four began to climb, but the trees here were very large and had lush foliage, making them difficult to climb.

"Wait, there seems to be something on this tree," Luo Yifei suddenly said.

The four stopped and looked in the direction Luo Yifei pointed. They saw a black object hanging from the trunk of a large tree.

"What is that?" Shi Hao asked.

"I don't know, but it feels very dangerous," Luo Yifei said.

The four of them cautiously approached the tree and then looked at the black thing on the trunk.

It was a black cloth bag, its opening open, and it appeared to contain a black object. However, because it was so dark inside, it was impossible to see what it was.

"What is this?" Shen Lixi asked.

"I don't know, but it feels very dangerous," Luo Yifei said again.

"Let's not touch it, let's leave quickly," Han Yue said.

The four continued climbing, but after a short distance, they found another black cloth bag.

"Why are there so many cloth bags here?" Shi Hao said.

"And these bags all seem to be positioned very high up," Luo Yifei said.

“Yes, it seems they’re all hanging in the middle of the tree trunk,” Shen Lixi added.

"Could it be that these bags were deliberately hung here?" Han Yue wondered.

"Was it deliberately hung here? Why?" Shi Hao asked.

"I don't know, but I feel there's something wrong with these bags," Luo Yifei said.

"So what do we do? Keep climbing, or go back?" Shen Lixi asked.

“Going back is definitely not an option; this fog will corrode our spiritual power. We can only continue climbing and see if we can find a way out,” Han Yue said.

The four continued climbing, and every so often they would find a black cloth bag. Moreover, these bags were placed higher and higher, as if guiding them upwards.

After walking for more than an hour, the four of them finally reached the top of the mountain. However, there was no way out as they had imagined; there was only a flat grassland and a few lonely trees.

“We’ve been scammed,” Luo Yifei said.

"What do you mean?" Shi Hao asked.

"These bags were deliberately hung here to guide us upwards. However, there's no way out at the top of the mountain, and we're trapped here," Luo Yifei explained.

"So what do we do now?" Shen Lixi asked.

“I don’t know, but we must find a way to leave this place. Otherwise, our spiritual power will be completely corroded by this fog,” Han Yue said.