In the center of the island, nestled among the mountains, there was an open grassy field. The grass swayed gently in a cold wind, some of it covered with moonlit dew. In the center of the field, four patches of grass suddenly bent as if something were pressing down on them. More and more grass flattened until four large circles were pressed to the ground. Neither the grass nor the insects, squirrels, or owls observing from afar knew what had crushed it. The invisible thing pressing on the grass was, of course, Liu Xing's turtle statue.

After the turtle landed successfully, the bubble of qi surrounding it broke. The chilly wind grazed Liu Xing's hair, body, and soul, as if sensing a man with a weary body and a weary soul and wanting to calm him. The sensation was pleasant, but it was a shame it didn't truly calm him. Soon, the invisibility faded, and the turtle statue, Liu Xing, and the women behind him became visible. While Liu Xing and some of the women wore flat expressions, many were smiling as they looked at the grass below, as if they missed the sensation of proper ground. Liu Xing let out his qi, encasing each of the women and then setting them down on the grass. Once that was finished, he dismissed the turtle statue.

Thirty-one of them now stood on the grassy field.

From there, Fang Ruxue organized her group like a teacher leading a study tour, then led them toward the edge of the forest where she intended to build a fire and shelters. It was almost dawn, with only a few hours left until sunrise. Still, the air was chilly, and lighting a fire was a good idea. The thirty women began to do their assigned jobs, and soon, a bonfire lit up a clearing and warmed the area. Liu Xing cut some fallen trees into firewood and logs for them to sit on, and a minute later, almost all the women were seated, enjoying the warm fire.

Liu Xing, however, did not join them. He stood a short distance away, watching the group chatting around the fire. Fang Ruxue, as expected, stood at his side, as if she knew his intentions.

"This is it, your destination," Fang Ruxue said.

Liu Xing nodded. He was certain this island was where the Heaven Severing Pill was located. It was just a hunch, but as a cultivator, he could not ignore it, although he still had to verify its location. He had chosen this spot to land because it was secluded, but the truth was, if he had been alone, he would have landed nearer to the city. He landed here because of the women, and now… he needed to leave them alone, which made him a little bit anxious.

Liu Xing closed his eyes and sensed the qi surrounding the place. The qi here was incredibly thin. Cultivating here would be hard work. Since the ambient qi was thin, the chance that this place was occupied by spirit beasts or cultivators was low, but low didn't mean nonexistent. However, he couldn't bring them with him while he investigated the city and found out about the Heaven Severing Pill, which made leaving them the only option.

He inhaled deeply and tried to calm his mind. It was alright. This place was probably safe. For today, he intended to go to the city and try to get as much information as he could. From there, he needed to actively search for the Heaven Severing Pill. He didn't know what this pill was or where exactly it was located, but he reckoned there were only two kinds of places it could be. It was either hidden in some secret location or owned by the cultivators who controlled this island and the city. Either way, he was sure there was information about that pill in this place; otherwise, the mission wouldn't have directed him here.

"Wait here for a while," said Liu Xing to Fang Ruxue. "I need to gather information about the item I need to retrieve. I doubt I can get it in less than a day, but I'll try."

She nodded. "Then, after you get the item, we will go from this island."

"Yes, I intend to come back to the Purple Moon Sect first."

It would mean he would end his race, which was a shame. This race was not going as he had planned. There were so many distractions he couldn't ignore, leaving him without enough time to seek treasures. Moreover, the treasures on him needed to be given to the sect, and he didn't really want to do that, considering he was quite fond of them all. Then, he needed to meet Elder Zhang Zhenking about the Dragon Vein in the Twelve Sun Empire—he hoped Emperor Yang Jinyan and the others were alright. Then, he needed to cash in the favor from Elder Zhang Zhenking regarding the elder who was hostile to him, and only then did he intend to get back here, ideally with an official mission and bringing several inner disciples or perhaps elders to deal with the Nether Lotus Sect.

"Alright," Fang Ruxue nodded, looking at the group circling the fire, "they will be alright even if you leave them for several days."

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He nodded, then blinked. "Wait, what do you mean 'they will be alright'? What about you?"

"I intend to go with you," she answered. "I'm actually quite experienced with gathering information, so I'm sure I would be quite useful. Also, we need supplies, and we can only get supplies from the city."

Liu Xing's first reflex was to refuse her, thinking she would hinder him. But, after a moment, he realized that wasn't true, at least not for the information-gathering part. He looked at the others. While they appeared to be chattering around the fire, he knew their focus was on him and Fang Ruxue, wondering about his decision. It was true that they needed supplies. They needed more clothes, food, tents, blankets, hygiene products, and more. The need wasn't pressing, and it could waste time, but it would be a good cover for roaming around and listening for information.

In the end, Liu Xing nodded. "Alright, let's go."

Fang Ruxue smiled and nodded eagerly. After exchanging a few words with the others, she said she was ready, so Liu Xing left one of his five Eyes of Lightning in their midst, explaining that the eye would allow him to observe them. They looked at the speck of lightning the size of a grain of rice with curiosity. Then, he and Fang Ruxue set off.

The city lay south of the mountain. If he decided to use his full speed, he could arrive there in less than a minute. However, since Fang Ruxue was not a cultivator and they had the entire day ahead of them, they decided to walk calmly. The morning breeze was quite chilling, and Fang Ruxue blew into her hands several times. Soon they came out of the forest and arrived at a small, snaking river.

There, Liu Xing swept Fang Ruxue up in a princess carry, jumped across the river, then set her down, and they began to walk again.

After a while, the sun rose on the eastern horizon, painting the world in orange light. They walked for hours, and finally, a walled city rose before them. Its pristine white walls gleamed under the morning light. In the middle of this city, a fountain so tall it looked like a tower rose high into the sky, and the sun painted it orange, making it look like a pillar of fire.

The sight of the tall fountain left him in awe. He had never seen such a high fountain, not on Earth, nor in this world. He was sure it was erected by some kind of array formation, and he was sure it had some function that benefited the whole city. Anyway, it was quite beautiful, and he became certain that this place was Water Tower City. His destination, and where the mysterious Heaven Severing Pill was likely located.

"Ah, city guards," Fang Ruxue pointed ahead.

They were emerging from a pathless forest, but not far from them, he saw a wide dirt path, large enough for two carriages to pass side-by-side. The dirt path was dry, though not overly so, making it neither dusty nor muddy. A line of dozens of carriages snaked from the main gate. All of them were open carriages with goods piled high, forcing the donkeys and horses that pulled them to strain. It seemed this city was quite popular; even this early in the morning, there was already a queue to enter.

"Do you have any spare change?" Fang Ruxue asked.

Liu Xing shook his head. He didn't have any normal currency on him, only spirit stones. While he knew for a fact the city would accept that method of payment, he was unwilling to do so—not because he didn't want to pay, but because he didn't want to leave a trace that could lead people to him. He was, in a way, a fugitive. According to Fang Ruxue, mortals had to travel a long way to get here from the Mirror Tide Empire, so information about him spreading through them would be slow. Cultivators, however, would have no trouble coming straight from the Mirror Tide Empire. In summary, he needed to minimize his trace, which meant minimizing—or avoiding entirely—any contact with the officials here.

Luckily, he was a cultivator. While he didn't have a specific technique to conceal himself, he did have his wonderful gun and its ability.

Liu Xing extended his hand toward Fang Ruxue. "Grab my hand."

Fang Ruxue looked at his hand, then at him, her eyes narrowing a little. "You know, there aren't many men who can touch my hand so easily," she paused for a moment, then grabbed his hand awkwardly, as if for a handshake. Liu Xing raised his eyebrows, decided that it was not an ideal position, and grabbed her wrist instead. She was startled for a moment, but then, his left hand—still carrying his gun—began to turn invisible. The invisibility spread over his body and then completely concealed them.

When they were both fully invisible, their presence so faint it would be hard to detect, Liu Xing grabbed Fang Ruxue and with a simple jump, soared through the air, crossing the wall of Water Tower City as easily as a horse jumping a low fence.

Soon, they landed in the shade of an alleyway between two-story buildings. There, he set Fang Ruxue down but kept his grip on her wrist.

"Alright, we are inside. From here—"

Liu Xing's words stopped. A vibration occurred on his chest. He instantly raised his eyebrows; the vibration reminded him of a communication orb, and while he had one, it was inside his spatial bag. He reached into his inner robe, toward the source of the vibration, and pulled the object out. In his hand, he held two necklaces. One he had gotten from a spirit under the lake, while the other… was the necklace he had gotten from Moon Flower.

Seeing the necklace from Moon Flower vibrating, he narrowed his eyes.

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