Translator: CinderTL
Time flowed relentlessly, years slipping by like sand through an hourglass.
Song Wen remained immersed in his cultivation, day after day, year after year, never wavering in his dedication.
He tirelessly refined his cultivation, while also taking time to refine the treasures he had acquired.
Chi Pei's Blood Sea Seal was integrated into his own, significantly enhancing its power.
The Law-Breaking Divine Eye had also been successfully cultivated, though its true capabilities remained untested in combat.
Song Wen meticulously nurtured his Gu insects and Nether Fox, all of whom showed remarkable progress.
The Blood Earthworm Gu advanced from Second-Tier to Third-Tier.
The three Shadow Gu broke through to the late Third-Tier.
The Shadow King Gu and Nether Fox both reached the mid Fourth-Tier.
Twenty years passed in the blink of an eye. Song Wen had fully stabilized his cultivation and smoothly advanced his divine sense realm to the late Divine Transformation Stage. With this milestone reached, he concluded his seclusion.
"It's time to leave the Rotting Miasma Ridge," Song Wen murmured to himself.
He rose to his feet, preparing to retract the formation he had set up in the cave, when he suddenly froze.
"I think I've forgotten something important."
Song Wen pondered for a moment, then his eyes sharpened abruptly.
"Right, I promised Ye Bing I would help her deal with Jin Xun and seize the Spirit Herb for refining the Void Union Primordial Breakthrough Pill from his possession."
Song Wen hastily retracted the formation, his figure transforming into a streak of light as he shot toward Phoenix Feather City.
He had vowed to Ye Bing, "Whether it takes a few months or several years, I will definitely return for you."
Now, twenty years had passed. He wondered what her situation might be.
Song Wen's cultivation had reached the bottleneck of the late divine transformation stage, with the peak divine transformation stage within reach. It was time to consider advancing to the Void Refinement Stage.
Therefore, Ye Bing's success in refining the Void Union Primordial Breakthrough Pill had become particularly crucial.
With the terrain map of the Rotting Miasma Ridge obtained from Chi Pei, Song Wen easily navigated his way out of the ridge. After traveling at full speed for some time, he arrived above a vast lake.
The lake stretched endlessly, its azure waters merging seamlessly with the horizon, creating a unified expanse of blue. Scattered across its surface were numerous islands of varying sizes.
This was Azure Oak Lake, the agreed-upon meeting place with Ye Bing.
"I wonder if Ye Bing has left this place after all these years," Song Wen mused inwardly.
Azure Oak Lake spanned millions of miles, dotted with tens of thousands of islands. Searching them one by one would be a daunting task.
Moreover, Ye Bing's temporary cultivation cave might not even be on these islands; it could be hidden somewhere underwater.
Finding her wouldn't be easy.
However, Song Wen wasn't worried.
People leave their names behind; geese leave their calls.
As a peak divine transformation stage cultivator who had resided here for an extended period, Ye Bing would inevitably have left some traces.
Song Wen extended his divine sense and quickly detected signs of cultivator activity on an island several hundred miles away.
With a flash, he appeared above the island.
Only two figures were present: a male cultivator at the golden core stage and a female cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage, seemingly a dao companion pair.
The couple stood within a formation barrier, gazing up at Song Wen's sudden arrival with palpable unease.
Song Wen wore a black cloak that completely shrouded him in darkness, radiating an inexplicable sense of oppressive power.
"Greetings, Senior," the male cultivator said, bowing deeply with cupped fists. His voice was filled with respect and caution. "What instructions do you have for us?"
"Do you reside here permanently?" Song Wen's indifferent voice echoed from beneath the black cloak.
"My wife and I have been cultivating here for sixty years," the male cultivator said.
Song Wen asked, "Have any Divine Transformation Stage cultivators come to Azure Oak Lake to stay temporarily in the past twenty years?"
A flicker of alarm flashed through the male cultivator's lowered eyes.
The fact that the newcomer immediately inquired about the whereabouts of Divine Transformation Stage cultivators strongly suggested that they themselves were also a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator.
Realizing this, the male cultivator's demeanor instantly became even more respectful.
"Reporting to Senior, my cultivation is too low to have any contact with Divine Transformation Stage cultivators. Therefore, I cannot say whether any Divine Transformation Stage Seniors have recently come to Azure Oak Lake to stay temporarily. However, twenty years ago, an uninhabited island about 100,000 li west of Azure Oak Lake suddenly gained an owner, who named it Gou Jun Island. Some Golden Core Stage fellow daoists and Nascent Soul Stage Seniors speculate that the owner of Gou Jun Island is likely a Divine Transformation Stage powerhouse. Perhaps Senior could consider visiting Gou Jun Island..."
The male cultivator spoke with utmost reverence.
Suddenly, he noticed that the faint, oppressive aura that had been hanging in the air had vanished.
Cautiously, the male cultivator raised his head and glanced at the sky.
But there was no sign of anyone in the air.
The black-robed cultivator had vanished without a trace.
The male cultivator immediately felt a wave of relief wash over him, exhaling a long, steady breath.
"Wan'er, no need to bow any longer. That Senior has left."
Hearing this, the female cultivator slowly straightened up. Before she could speak, the male cultivator continued.
"Quickly pack our things. We need to leave Azure Oak Lake for now."
"Why?" the female cultivator asked, her expression puzzled.
"Trouble is brewing at Azure Oak Lake," the male cultivator replied.
"Are you referring to that Senior just now?" the female cultivator asked. "But his words were quite gentle. He doesn't seem like someone who would slaughter innocents indiscriminately."
"Human nature is complex," the male cultivator countered. "We can't make hasty judgments based on a single encounter. Besides, Azure Oak Lake's Spiritual Qi isn't particularly dense. It's always been a haven for rogue cultivators, and even the most powerful among them have only reached the Nascent Soul Stage. Yet suddenly, two Divine Transformation cultivators have appeared here. This is suspicious. There must be a reason. In my opinion, caution is paramount. Let's leave Azure Oak Lake for now and observe from a distance. If nothing significant happens here later, we can always return."
The female cultivator nodded solemnly.
Song Wen traveled west, inquiring twice more along the way, until he finally reached the island known as Gou Jun Island.
This island had been named Gou Jun Island twenty years ago, and its sole owner was Ye Bing.
The island was quite large, spanning several hundred miles in both length and width.
Lush forests covered the land, teeming with birds and beasts.
However, when Song Wen swept the island with his divine sense, he detected no signs of human life. The only structure he found was a pavilion atop the island's highest peak.
Instead of trespassing, Song Wen hovered in mid-air, pondered briefly, and then retrieved Ye Bing's Communication Jade Slip.
Just as he was about to send a message, his divine sense suddenly detected someone approaching from behind.
"Immortal Maiden Ye Bing?"
Song Wen channeled his voice with spiritual power, projecting it directly into the ears of the approaching figure, who was still miles away.
The newcomer was disguised, wearing a wide-brimmed hat that concealed their face and aura.
This made it impossible for Song Wen to confirm their identity, leaving him to rely on their silhouette to guess that it was Ye Bing.
"It's me," the figure replied, their voice tinged with impatience.
The voice confirmed Song Wen's suspicions: it was indeed Ye Bing.
His face immediately lit up with a warm smile, as if he had just seen a long-lost dear friend. His joy was palpable.
"Immortal Maiden, it's wonderful to see you again at last."
Ye Bing didn't respond. Instead, she approached Song Wen, brushed past him without pausing, and said, "Follow me."
With that, she descended toward Gou Jun Island.
(End of the Chapter)
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