Batian Martial Soul

"And you? Are you planning to continue forward and plunge headlong into that unknown danger, or simply turn back and find a safe place to hide?"

The woman stood to one side, her posture as upright as a pine tree, her deep gaze like stars in the cold night, once again casting her gaze upon the darker area ahead of the passage.

The darkness was like a lurking beast, capable of devouring all light, inspiring awe and fear.

A moment later, her cool and clear thoughts, like a gentle, cold spring, carrying a hint of warning, slowly flowed into the depths of Ling Xiao's consciousness: "Stop."

The voice, though soft, struck Ling Xiao's heart like a heavy hammer.

Ling Xiao's smile vanished instantly, and the dark red flames in his eyes flickered slightly, like a volcano about to erupt, revealing a hint of danger.

He stared intently at the woman, his gaze sharp, and said in a deep voice, "Oh? I'd like to hear more."

"I want to hear what kind of dangerous place lies ahead that makes you so earnestly advise me to stop."

The woman closed her eyes slightly, seemingly organizing her thoughts. Then, her thoughts returned, this time with a hint of understanding of "ignorance," as if Ling Xiao was nothing more than a naive and ignorant young man in her eyes.

She said slowly, "Ahead is the 'outpost' established here by the 'Tianyuan Sanctuary'."

"Outpost?"

Upon hearing this, Ling Xiao frowned slightly, a look of doubt appearing on his face. Then, he curled his lip and said disdainfully, "Sounds like a tollbooth?"

"Does this mean we have to pay a toll before we can continue?"

The crude metaphor sounded particularly comical coming from his mouth.

"..."

The woman seemed taken aback by the vulgar metaphor, her thoughts pausing for a moment as if she were trying to process this sudden "shock".

After a long pause, she continued, "The Heavenly Abyss Sanctuary has established such outposts at all the spatial fold nodes of the Heavenly Abyss Dynasty."

These outposts are like the eyes and tentacles of the Heavenly Abyss Sanctuary, controlling the nodes and monitoring the every move of the Heavenly Abyss Dynasty.

At the first sign of trouble, troops can be quickly mobilized to deal with any emergencies.

The outposts ahead are guarded by powerful figures.

They are powerful and ruthless; if you advance any further, you will surely disturb their will.

At that time, any trespasser will be annihilated, soul and body destroyed.

The voice was cold and resolute, as if it could already foresee the tragic end of Ling Xiao and the others.

Upon hearing the woman's words, Ling Xiao curled his lip, his face full of resentment.

He suddenly stretched out a finger, first pointing at the woman with a provocative gesture, as if to say, "What makes you so great?" Then he pointed forcefully at the strangely shaped floating warship emitting a cold light at his feet and said loudly, "Aren't you swaggering around here too?"

Why can't we leave?

"Are you allowed to run rampant in this area, while we can't even take a single step forward?"

The voice echoed in the noisy space, carrying a sense of stubbornness and unwillingness.

The woman slightly raised her head, her gaze calm as still water, a hint of self-righteousness in her expression. Her voice, like a cold wind in the night, pierced straight into Ling Xiao's ears: "I have presented a 'travel permit'."

Those few simple words seemed to carry immense weight, leaving Ling Xiao speechless for a moment.

Ling Xiao: "..."

He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say. The words "travel permit" seemed to carry a cold and heavy sense of cost, swirling in his mind.

He couldn't imagine what price the woman had paid to obtain this "guide"—was it a precious treasure or an unbearable promise?

The woman's gaze fell on Ling Xiao again, her cool and aloof expression carrying an indescribable curiosity, like a deep pool trying to see through him.

She said slowly, "Their source of power...is related to the Demonic Sect?"

The voice carried a hint of doubt and wariness, as if the Demonic Sect was a taboo existence, and that once one became involved, it would bring endless trouble.

Upon hearing this, Ling Xiao immediately straightened his back, a look of "pride" appearing on his face, like a child who had obtained a precious treasure and couldn't wait to show it to others.

He shouted, "How does it feel? Doesn't it feel dangerous?"

"very powerful?"

As he spoke, he deliberately patted his chest, as if to prove his strength to the woman.

Then, he pointed to himself with one finger and asked provocatively, "What about me? How do I make you feel?"

His eyes were full of expectation, as if he were waiting for the woman's praise.

The woman's deep eyes swept over Ling Xiao without any emotion, her gaze as cold as a blade, making Ling Xiao feel as if he had been seen through.

Her thought simply gave the assessment: "Noisy."

There was not a trace of emotion in her voice, as if Ling Xiao's provocation and boasting were nothing more than a farce in her eyes.

Ling Xiao: "..."

The "pride" on his face instantly collapsed, like a punctured balloon. He stood there awkwardly, his mouth slightly open, but no sound came out.

He never expected that his carefully planned "performance" would be so easily defeated in the woman's eyes.

"That's all."

The woman said no more, and her gaze fell one last time on Jin Tong, whose aura grew increasingly heavy, as if a monstrous storm was brewing within his frozen state.

His eyes held a complex mix of emotions, a mixture of curiosity and wariness.

Then, she turned around, her long, shadowy dress billowing in the wind like a shooting star in the night sky, exuding a mysterious and elegant air, as she prepared to merge into the chaotic currents behind her, heading towards the Great Town Dynasty.

Her figure gradually blurred, leaving only a faint shadow that slowly disappeared from Ling Xiao's sight.

"Hey!"

Just as the woman was about to be completely swallowed by the raging, chaotic current and her figure was about to disappear, Ling Xiao's voice suddenly rang out.

The voice carried a rare "sincerity," unlike its usual frivolous and playful tone, but rather carried a sense of solemnity and gravity.

He exclaimed, "The Great Town Dynasty... is in real danger now."

"Especially...to strangers."

As he spoke, his gaze was fixed on the woman's disappearing figure, a hint of worry flickering in his eyes. Although this worry was well hidden, it still inadvertently revealed itself.

He was implying something. Although this woman's aura was as obscure as a dark star in the deep night sky, and she was difficult to detect without careful investigation, how could she be an ordinary person who could cross the perilous and turbulent Tianyuan Dynasty alone?
Ling Xiao knew in her heart that if she really went to the Great Town Dynasty or the Overlord Empire, regardless of her purpose, it would very likely trigger unpredictable changes, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, causing huge waves. (End of this chapter)