Chapter 125: The Teleportation Array Is Complete

The energy storm above Changchun Island raged and swept into the distance. Snowflakes falling from the sky were caught in the gale, forming a snowy tempest that connected heaven and earth, trailing off across the sea.

Leng Tian’s aura retracted, returning to calm. "A Saint? Could it be a supreme expert? I didn't expect this Purple Thunder to be a disciple of a Saint. It seems there will be quite a bit of trouble lying in wait for us in the future!"

"Mm-hmm, Brother Tian is right. The messenger was indeed a little old man who has attained Sainthood. But Brother Tian, you don't need to take it to heart. With his disciple’s aptitude, even if he were given another ten years of bitter cultivation, he would still be no match for you! When we return to the Great World, if he dares to come, we’ll make sure he never leaves!" Xue Han waved her small fists, her expression suggesting that in this world, only Leng Tian was supreme, while everything else was mere vanity.

"Boss, you really should have let me out just now. I could have devoured his soul and swallowed that old Saint-ranked geezer along with him. That would teach him to stop acting so arrogant. Ouch... My lady, stop kicking! I don’t have a body, so kicking me is pointless. Ouch... my face..."

Judas’s words earned him a fierce barrage of kicks from Xue Han, striking both head and tail. Amidst his wails, a front tooth went flying.

Leng Tian stood silently in mid-air, circulating his true energy to recover from his exhaustion. Once his qi and blood settled, he let out a long, heavy breath. He glanced down at the devastated island below and offered a helpless, bitter smile. The once beautiful landscape had been completely marred by his battle with Purple Thunder.

His expression shifted as he felt something. Leng Tian turned in mid-air to see the fat innkeeper from before, leading several Heaven-ranked warriors, scrambling quickly over a few hills toward him.

"Brother Tian, that fatty looks like he’s coming for you. Look at his face—he looks as miserable as someone who’s just been cheated on!" Xue Han’s comment nearly made Leng Tian tumble from the sky; he was utterly speechless at her words.

The fat innkeeper, shaking his bloated frame, wheezed and panted as he climbed the hill beneath Leng Tian. He lifted his large head and shouted respectfully, "Please, sir, you must leave quickly! If anyone else comes, this Changchun Island will be completely destroyed! This island belongs to a remarkable personage from your Great World. Please, for his sake, leave at once!"

The fat innkeeper wailed with snot and tears, staring imploringly at Leng Tian. His expression was such that, instead of eliciting sympathy, it made one want to corner him and kick that fat-filled face.

"A personage? Which personage?" Leng Tian was momentarily stunned. In this Ancient Realm of the Jade Sea and Azure Heavens, for there to be a powerhouse from the Chifeng Continent who could claim a foothold here—and on an island that remained lush and blooming despite the freezing, sealed-sea weather—it was clear this island’s status was coveted by many factions.

"Look, it’s him. This Changchun Island belongs to him. He calls himself the Heaven-Startling War God, and we all respectfully address him as Master Zhuang!" The fat innkeeper stretched out his arm to point at the stone statue below the hill, his demeanor filled with reverence.

"You mean him..." Leng Tian said, his face full of surprise.

"Yes, it is him. He is the guardian deity of the residents of Changchun Island! Don’t underestimate this statue. No matter which powerhouse among the Three Saints and Seventy-Two Islands comes here, none dare to act recklessly. They all fear his retribution. That is why our lives have been so peaceful and serene; no one dares to do anything to us!"

"Haha... and do you know what my relationship is with Zhuang Zhuang? Since this island is his, then it is as good as mine. So, I suppose I am half an owner here, too!"

Leng Tian looked at the fat innkeeper with a smile, then glanced at Zhuang Zhuang’s statue, finding the situation amusing. To think that Zhuang Zhuang had established his own sanctuary here in the Ancient Realm! When he returned, he would have to ask clearly if the creature had any other private assets!

"You know him?" The fat innkeeper looked incredulous. What kind of existence was Zhuang Zhuang? Even the three Saints of the Jade Sea and Azure Heavens had to show him three parts respect. Yet, the man in the sky clearly only possessed Heaven-ranked cultivation. Could he be lying?

"Fine. Since this is Zhuang Zhuang’s territory, I certainly won't destroy it any further." As Leng Tian spoke, he felt something and looked into the distance, where several streaks of light were rapidly approaching the island.

"If any powerhouses come here later and ask where I went, tell them I headed into the sea! Also, I will inform Zhuang Zhuang of your diligence. As for that madman, from now on, whatever he wants to eat, serve him well. Take this money. If I ever find out you didn't follow my instructions, hmph, hmph... you know the consequences!"

Leng Tian tossed a bag of gold to the fat innkeeper. He then glanced at the group of powerhouses who were now close enough to be clearly seen. "Remember my words: when they arrive, just say what I told you!"

"Judas, let's go!" Leng Tian commanded coldly.

"Coming!" Judas cheered as he emerged from between Leng Tian’s brows, instantly turning ethereal to conceal Leng Tian’s form. He had been waiting for the call to escape the torment of the tigress, Xue Han.

"Ah... the Shadow Demon... It really is the Shadow Demon! Did you see that? Did you see it..." Once Judas appeared, the fat innkeeper began to gesture wildly in shock, while Qin Da and the others beside him turned pale, their limbs trembling.

"I saw it... thank goodness he’s on our side!" Qin Da wiped away cold sweat, letting out a long, fearful sigh of relief.

A moment later, the gray-clad elder and a dozen others arrived. Seeing the wreckage of Changchun Island and looking down at the fat innkeeper and his men, the elder asked in a deep voice, "Innkeeper Qin, may I ask if this was the work of that Leng Tian?"

"Oh, isn't this Elder Liu? That’s right, this was caused by the battle between Leng Tian and the Saint's disciple, Purple Thunder!" the fat innkeeper replied with a fawning smile.

"And where are they now?"

"After the great battle, Purple Thunder was defeated and taken away by the Saint using some heaven-defying method! As for Leng Tian, he just left. Before he went, he left a message for me to tell you that he headed into the sea!"

The fat innkeeper kept a smile on his face, but in his heart, he felt only contempt for the gray-clad elder and his group. When he was younger and Zhuang Zhuang was still here, this elder used to be in the prime of his life; whenever he visited Changchun Island, he had been utterly respectful. Now that Zhuang Zhuang had not appeared for decades, these fellows no longer looked upon him with any regard, which filled him with stifled anger.

"He headed into the sea?" The gray-clad elder exchanged glances with the others before asking, "In which direction did he go?"

"In that direction. If you pursue him now, I imagine he won't have gone far!" the fat innkeeper said with an indignant expression.

"Go, we pursue!" The gray-clad elder flicked his large sleeve, and he and the others rode their streaks of light in the direction the innkeeper had pointed.

"Let’s head back too..." Seeing the elder and his group fly off, the fat innkeeper turned back with Qin Da and the others.

Leng Tian, having concealed his form, had not gone far. Watching as the fat innkeeper pointed in the opposite direction and the elder’s group chased after it, he immediately ordered Judas to head toward the entrance of the Heaven-Reaching Tower.

As for Leng Tian himself, he entered the Purgatory.

Three days later, inside the Purgatory, Leng Tian sat cross-legged on the grass, practicing quietly. Not far away, Li Dongqing was drinking alone and gnawing on a roasted chicken. On the grass before him lay a stone slab one meter in diameter, covered in complex diagrams and dense, strange runes forming bizarre lines.

Li Dongqing finished the chicken leg, his eyes fixed on an ancient book resting on his knees. He didn't even notice when his wine flask tipped over, as he muttered technical jargon that no outsider could understand, occasionally picking up a dagger to carve into the stone slab.

"Brother Li, how is the teleportation array progressing?" Leng Tian’s voice drifted over.

Li Dongqing’s face brightened. He looked up and smiled, "You’ve been sitting for three days; have you fully recovered your cultivation?"

"Thanks to you, Brother Li, I am quite alright!" Leng Tian stood up and walked over to Li Dongqing, taking the wine flask he offered and taking a refreshing gulp. The wine hit his stomach, and he felt instantly at ease.

"Big brother, you’re awake! Tee-hee..." Two little fox demons hopped over, each tugging on one of Leng Tian’s sleeves.

"Haha... Mi Xue, Mi Lan, have you eaten?" Leng Tian asked with concern, looking at the adorable fox-demon sisters.

"We have! But Sister Xue Han took Max and we don't know where she flew off to; she hasn't come back yet!"

It turned out that three days ago, when Leng Tian entered the Purgatory, he had mentioned the teleportation array to Li Dongqing. He hadn't expected this array genius to dive headfirst into it, leaving Leng Tian aside to focus entirely on his research.

Leng Tian had left him to it, spending time playing with the fox-demon sisters and bringing out the vast amounts of food Huo Wu had prepared for him before he came to the Ancient Realm. He then settled into cultivation himself.

Although he had won the battle against Purple Thunder, his bloodline power had been significantly depleted. After consuming some Divine Spring, he calmed his mind to restore his strength.

After three days of quiet meditation, aided by the Divine Spring, he had fully restored his depleted bloodline power. Leng Tian felt a sense of helplessness; while the power of the mountain potential was exceptionally formidable, the drain on his own bloodline was simply too great. It would be best to use it as sparingly as possible in the future!

"I’m back... Wow! You big clumsy dragon, slow down..." Xue Han sat on the back of a giant dragon, flying back from afar. Max spread his wings and landed steadily on the grass.

Xue Han hopped off the dragon’s back and ran to Leng Tian, saying with a grin, "Brother Tian, this Purgatory must be an independent world, right? Based on my perception, it’s actually even larger than the Ancient Realm, and the world’s rules are gradually perfecting themselves. This is truly incredible. I wonder what great master possessed such heaven-defying means to refine an independent world into a supreme treasure!"

Leng Tian just smiled without saying a word, though he felt a sense of joy that eased the gloom caused by his bloodline depletion. When he advanced to the Saint Body, his cultivation increased greatly, and the Purgatory had proactively transmitted information to him: with his current cultivation, he could now control the Purgatory to shrink into dust and move through the air. This had given him another lifesaver!

"It’s done, it’s done... the teleportation array is finished! Haha... I succeeded!" Just as Leng Tian was speaking with the three girls, he was startled by Li Dongqing’s excited laughter.

"What, Brother Li? The teleportation array is complete?"

"Haha... it’s more than half done. Now, all that’s missing are the materials to engrave the array. If we had them, we could perform short-distance teleportation right here!"

"Good..." Leng Tian praised him loudly, then burst into laughter as well. With a teleportation array, traveling across the Chifeng Continent would be much more convenient in the future!