Chu Xingchen walked out of Tianyan Hall alone. After nodding gently to the Tianyan Sect disciples beside him with a warm expression, he headed straight toward Zhuji Peak.
A brilliant streak of rainbow light shot from Tianyan Peak directly to Zhuji Peak.
The Tianyan Sect disciples watched that rainbow light. Seeing it land on Zhuji Peak, the confusion in their eyes turned to understanding.
After all, Tianyan Sect had implemented a complete flight ban. Even the cranes had to walk on two legs.
The number of people who could fly from Tianyan Hall to Zhuji Peak was very limited, but whoever it was, their status was more than sufficient.
Chu Xingchen's figure quickly descended onto Zhuji Peak. With practiced steps, he walked toward the small courtyard where Bai Xuanling usually stayed. He saw her already seated in a chair, leisurely brewing tea—as if she had been waiting for Chu Xingchen for some time.
Bai Xuanling raised her gaze, her tone teasing:
"Oh, I thought I'd have to wait at least a few days. What excuse did you use to escape?"
"Unhealed injuries." Chu Xingchen sighed lightly, glanced around, and asked, "Qinghe isn't here? I thought she would have shamelessly stuck around nearby at this hour."
"I didn't let her know I was back. Qinghe can't sit still, and I don't want to have to beat her up just because I came back for once. She probably went to play with San Dong, it seems." Bai Xuanling answered, then pushed the freshly brewed tea toward Chu Xingchen, "Dumped another pile of trouble on your eldest disciple, did you?"
Chu Xingchen spoke with righteous indignation: "What do you mean trouble? That's called cultivation experience."
After a brief exchange, Chu Xingchen sat across from Bai Xuanling, picked up the teacup, and took a sip with some skepticism.
The taste was unexpectedly wonderful.
The lingering fragrance was nothing like tea Bai Xuanling could have brewed.
Bai Xuanling's expression was languid: "The intelligence I brought back—did you read it carefully?"
"I did."
"But you don't seem to have done anything. You think it's fake?"
Bai Xuanling raised an eyebrow slightly.
Although the pillar of light shooting into the sky turned out not to be a prerequisite for a cross-realm teleportation formation, the investigation based on spirit vein movements was still ongoing.
Naturally, the investigation had to be kept secret. If Boluo could infiltrate the Buddhist Sect, perhaps other Heavenly Demons could infiltrate other immortal sects.
Chu Xingchen didn't plan to make a show of sending a group of Tribulation Transcendence cultivators to conduct an aggressive search for this matter.
Being too obvious would make it easy for others to discover he held this card.
So Bai Xuanling had indeed gotten what she wanted—the Heavenly Dao Map. She studied it daily, checking which spirit veins showed anomalies.
Bai Xuanling's cultivation was at the True Immortal realm, the highest. Her ability to conceal her aura far surpassed ordinary Tribulation Transcendence cultivators, and her True Intent, nearly fused with the Dao, made her even harder to detect.
Over these past days, Bai Xuanling had been secretly tracking the situation.
Meanwhile, Chu Xingchen investigated the red pillars of light on the surface, creating the appearance that they could only pursue whatever was immediately apparent.
The effect was natural.
Over time, Bai Xuanling discovered that several faint spirit veins had been subtly shifting toward a single location.
In the course of her concealed investigation, she had found a ritual formation completely different from the crimson pillars of light—extremely covert, radiating uniquely distinctive fluctuations.
Massive spiritual energy converged within it, ultimately emitting only a faint but extremely special, nearly impossible to erase strand of what resembled Dao Resonance.
Chu Xingchen's expression carried some helplessness as he said softly:
"I should have thought of this earlier. All the world's spirit veins are in Central Continent. Under circumstances where the Heavenly Demons cannot utilize them, it's impossible for them to use our energy to build a cross-realm teleportation formation."
"All they need to do is anchor this world. The rest is left to the other side."
Bai Xuanling clicked her tongue lightly: "Truly troublesome. No wonder the Heavenly Dao sent a monster like you to handle this situation. So have you figured out what to do—gather our forces and destroy these anchor points first?"
Chu Xingchen shook his head slightly: "If they're truly concealed to the extreme, they probably can't be destroyed. After all, how can you tell whether an immortal sect occupying a spirit vein isn't controlled by the Heavenly Demons?"
"Sects are one thing—forcibly searching them would only cause disgust. But what about those evil cultivators looking to stir up chaos?"
"Our so-called trump card might simply be that we can only react passively."
"No dodging, no blocking. Only accepting the blow."
Chu Xingchen's gaze lowered as he said softly:
"I'll discuss it with Xu Jin, Yuyang, and the others later. For now, all we can do is prepare for war."
"But there is good news. If war is imminent, our side's strength is the strongest it has ever been."
"The immortal path was severed, yet it left behind heaven-blessed prodigies from countless eras."
"If we truly cannot avoid bayonet-point combat, then we'll have to prove ourselves through skill."
"The stakes are enormous. We can only think the worst."
Bai Xuanling nodded in understanding, then smiled freely:
"If it truly is unavoidable, then this cultivation of mine can finally be displayed in full."
Chu Xingchen nodded emphatically, then shifted the topic:
"Of course, that's the worst-case scenario. What if we can settle everything before they're ready? Wouldn't that be even better?"
"So, Sister Bai, you can't stop just yet. Check what needs checking, search for what needs searching."
"Didn't you say you like treasures? How about keeping the Heavenly Dao Map a few more days?"
Bai Xuanling nearly spat out the tea she had just sipped. Her gaze turned sharp as she looked at Chu Xingchen:
"You actually dare to give me orders?"
"What are you talking about? This is just a suggestion." Chu Xingchen grinned innocently. "Also, I think they're definitely planning something big. If a few faint spirit veins could anchor the realm, they would have done it long ago. Why wait?"
"They're probably still in the experimental phase. We still have a time advantage."
Bai Xuanling's expression was disdainful: "We've barely sat down for a minute and you're already jumping back and forth—one moment you say it's unavoidable, the next you say they haven't finished setting up and we still have a chance. Which one am I supposed to believe?"
"Oh, this is what Sect Master Lu taught me." Chu Xingchen's gaze was pure and earnest. "He said predictions must always be ambiguous—best to say everything that could possibly happen."
Bai Xuanling snapped: "Something as serious as a Great Calamity, and you can be ambiguous? Isn't Lu Xuan just a fortune-teller who can't even see? You listen to his words?"
"Come on. I know you—you just want me to do your work."
"Save those efforts for your own disciples."
Chu Xingchen showed not a shred of embarrassment, instead displaying an utterly innocent smile.
Bai Xuanling saw this and waved her hand languidly:
"Get lost, get lost. Just looking at your face annoys me."
"Then I'll trouble Sister Bai."
"Whatever."
Chu Xingchen drained the tea in his cup in one gulp, then praised:
"Delicious. Not worse than Chen Baiqing's."
"Stop flattering me." Bai Xuanling watched Chu Xingchen walking out and cursed with a smile.
Chu Xingchen walked out with light steps.
Only Bai Xuanling remained in the courtyard.
Bai Xuanling reached out and gently ran her fingers across the teacup before her.
Perhaps Chu Xingchen was also confused and conflicted, unable to see the situation clearly.
He could only take it one step at a time, sometimes doubting whether his judgment was truly correct.
How many living beings did this world hold, and among them, how many did Chu Xingchen cherish?
When the Great Calamity began, life would be as fragile as grass—one fire could burn it all.
Anyone could doubt themselves—but Chu Xingchen was the one exception. At least on the surface.
This kid must be tired by now, having come this far?