Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

Ling Xiao used his Spiritual Power to soothe Song Mingyue, guiding her into a relaxed sleep. He then opened his eyes. In the darkness, a gentle smile could be seen in them, but it gradually faded, replaced by a solemn expression.

Ling Xiao hadn’t sensed any single, overwhelming presence, yet a feeling of unease had lingered in his heart, mirroring the storm outside. Cautiously extending his Spiritual Power, he detected many powerful energies. A great number of the people gathered on this island were incredibly strong, yet they kept a low profile. During the day, one could feel nothing, but in the quiet of the night, the natural energy auras radiated by these experts allowed Ling Xiao, who was sensitive to his surroundings, to easily perceive the strength of most of them.

’Something is definitely wrong!’

Lying on the bed, Ling Xiao, who had been as steady as a mountain, suddenly cried out in his mind. At the same instant, he retracted his Spiritual Power as swiftly as a receding tide. Just then, an irresistibly powerful energy latched onto his Spiritual Power and gave chase at incredible speed!

It was like a cat that had spotted a mouse, pursuing him with frantic zeal. Yet, Ling Xiao couldn’t sense the location of this power’s source at all!

The difference in their strength was obvious at a glance.

It was a good thing Ling Xiao’s control over his Spiritual Power was exceptionally strong. Had it been any other expert at the Sword Emperor Level, they would have had no hope of escaping the pursuit of that devastatingly powerful Spiritual Power. Even a Sword Venerable... would have likely failed to escape!

At the last moment, the hostile Spiritual Power seemed to realize Ling Xiao’s was trying to flee. It instantly unleashed a torrent of menacing thoughts. Someone with slightly weaker strength would have been instantly stunned by these thoughts, frightened into a drooling idiot.

But Ling Xiao’s Spiritual Power was as slippery as an eel in a mud pit, cunningly dodging left and right. Finally, it shot back into Ling Xiao’s body with the speed of lightning. At the same time, a colossal, tsunami-like wave of energy—WHOOSH—swept through the guest room area and rolled onward. Afterward, Ling Xiao shot up in bed, his face pale as he gasped for breath for a long while.

Song Mingyue, nestled in his arms, was also startled awake. Opening her eyes, she saw Ling Xiao sitting on the bed, his chest heaving. She sat up as well, pulling the blanket up to her chest. The movement revealed a wide expanse of her smooth, porcelain back, over which her silken black hair cascaded, tapering at her waist to form an alluring, graceful curve.

"What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Song Mingyue asked groggily, her eyes still hazy with sleep. She had been sleeping so soundly that she hadn’t sensed anything amiss.

"Shh."

Ling Xiao gently wrapped an arm around Song Mingyue’s slender waist and whispered, "Don’t say anything. Just lie down and go back to sleep."

Song Mingyue murmured softly in assent. Her once-hazy eyes cleared and blinked once in the darkness before closing again as she settled contentedly back into Ling Xiao’s embrace.

That immensely powerful Spiritual Power swept back and forth across the area several times, like an irate lion, but it could no longer find any trace of the other presence. Instead, its probing provoked a natural reaction from many other experts, who all began to release their own Spiritual Power to investigate.

Just then, Ling Xiao heard two faint, short cries, which were immediately swallowed by the raging storm. If he weren’t so confident in his hearing, he would have dismissed it as a trick of the ear.

The night passed without another word. Early the next morning, Ling Xiao and Song Mingyue arose. Ling Xiao once again helped Song Mingyue alter her appearance. Song Mingyue transformed into a somewhat sultry adult woman who looked to be in her late twenties. Her eyes held a bewitching charm, and one look was enough to tell she was a woman in her prime.

Ling Xiao, for his part, disguised himself as a scholar in his thirties. His skin was fair, his features refined, and his eyes even held a hint of a cavalier attitude.

’It must be the Thousand-Year Flood Dragon!’ Ling Xiao guessed. The reason for this drastic change was entirely because of last night’s Spiritual Power—a force so strong that even Ling Xiao had felt fear. It was just too abnormal. Even a Sword Venerable Martial Artist couldn’t possibly possess Spiritual Power as vast and boundless as the sea! And one certainly couldn’t have forced him into such a pathetic retreat.

After all, no fewer than several hundred people from smaller sects and families had boarded the ship with them yesterday. There were plenty of reclusive types among them, so they believed that with their new disguises, no one would be able to recognize them.

As for their lodgings, they could simply move to a different pair of rooms. The Qin Family was probably hosting this kind of grand event for the first time, leaving many security holes. Last night, Ling Xiao had already discovered at least a few dozen empty rooms in the area around their own.

As for whether Qin Feng and the people from the East Sea Zhao Family would come looking for him and Ming Yue—if they found them, they found them. If not... let them search!

After the storm, a refreshing, clean scent that gladdened the heart permeated the entire island. The morning sun shone on the damp ground, creating a sense of vibrant life.

"This feels so nice!" Song Mingyue winked at Ling Xiao and smiled radiantly. "It’s like we’ve been given a new life!"

"This is terrible! Someone went missing last night!" The speaker was none other than the young man from yesterday, the one who had been bragging about his ancestors hunting a Tier Seven Magical Beast. He now wore a look of utter disbelief, and if one looked closely into his eyes, one could see traces of panic and... fear!