Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 878 - 878 0535 Too Unsafe_1

Chapter 878: Chapter 0535 Too Unsafe_1 Chapter 878: Chapter 0535 Too Unsafe_1 Chapter 0535: Too Unsafe

Qi Tian continued to delve deeper in his questioning of Xia Xiaoming, hoping to glean more information about the Imperial Family Secret Territory, but to Qi Tian’s disappointment, Xia Xiaoming’s knowledge of the secret territory was not much more than his own. Although Lin Zhiyuan had gathered a group of Gold Core Realm cultivators and charged each one of them spirit stones, Lin Zhiyuan kept a tight lid on any information, revealing almost nothing to Xia Xiaoming and the others. Perhaps Lin Zhiyuan truly knew something, but if he did, it seemed to be knowledge only Lin Zhiyuan himself was privy to.

Qi Tian couldn’t help but feel greatly disappointed; he had thought he might get at least some news from Xia Xiaoming, but there was no difference in the end. What he didn’t know, he still didn’t know, and what he should know, he also didn’t know.

Qi Tian scratched his head in confusion, but after a moment, he cast aside his disappointment. He believed that even if Xia Xiaoming did not know, it didn’t mean that no one else knew. The solution would be to ask a few more people.

Qi Tian instructed Xia Xiaoming to hide, then sent out three Message Paper Cranes in total. One had brought Xia Xiaoming to him, and perhaps it could lure one more, or even two more.

Xia Xiaoming felt that Qi Tian’s idea was too optimistic, but he wisely chose not to voice his opinion. As an Immortal Slave, he thought it best to focus on his duties and not recklessly challenge his master’s authority.

To Xia Xiaoming’s surprise, no sooner had he concealed himself than he saw a cultivator on a flying sword heading toward the oasis. The newcomer was a stranger to him, but Qi Tian, emerging from his hiding spot with delight, recognized the arrival—it was none other than Gao Jinmei.

Upon seeing Qi Tian, Gao Jinmei was overjoyed. She said, “Master, after receiving your Message Paper Crane, I hastened here at once. I hope I haven’t caused any delay in your plans?”

Qi Tian replied, “What matters could I have now? I’ve been circling this place for a day and a night, and I haven’t seen a single thing imbued with Spirit Qi. How are things on your end?”

Gao Jinmei responded, “It’s the same for me. Master, could we have come to the wrong place? This simply isn’t the Imperial Family Secret Territory. I’ve never encountered such a situation; the state of this place is even worse than in Great Zhao Nation. It shouldn’t be called a secret territory at all. If this is a secret territory, then there isn’t a place in the whole world that isn’t one.”

Qi Tian said, “What’s the use of talking about that now? For the time being, we can’t leave this place; we might as well explore a bit and see if there’s some kind of problem with this secret territory.”

Having no other suggestions to offer, Gao Jinmei could only follow Qi Tian’s arrangements.

Qi Tian said, “Actually, I have indeed encountered a similar scene before, in another secret territory. However, that place was even more desolate than here; one could truly say not a blade of grass grew, and no living thing could be seen. The Spirit Qi of that land, even the very breath of life, had all been devoured by the Locust Thief Bees as nourishment for them. Compared to that, this place is quite nice, where a desert contains living creatures and there is an oasis.”

Gao Jinmei glanced at Xia Xiaoming before asking, “Is this our new companion?”

Qi Tian nodded and said, “His name is Xia Xiaoming, and he came in with Lin Zhiyuan. Like us, he entered the Imperial Family Secret Territory without a single clue. He intercepted the Message Paper Crane I sent to Sun Xiang and then followed the trail here. Heh, from now on, we are all one family, so give him a few pointers.”

Gao Jinmei was very pleased with Qi Tian’s words; on one hand, Qi Tian had placed her on the same level as Sun Xiang, which was a form of recognition for her, and on the other hand, Qi Tian’s request for her to guide Xia Xiaoming was undoubtedly a great show of trust.

After a brief exchange with Gao Jinmei, Qi Tian asked her to hide as well. He had sent out three Message Paper Cranes in total, and two had already responded; now only one was left. The last Message Paper Crane was sent to Zhao Haiying—whether or not Zhao Haiying would come in response to it, he should at least send a reply. Qi Tian was now waiting for that reply and clinging to a sliver of hope.

The wait this time was slightly longer; after more than an hour, a speck appeared in the sky, quickly approaching the oasis.

Soon, Qi Tian could make out the outline of the approaching person—it was not Zhao Haiying, as he had hoped, but someone else, someone he recognized. It was the person who, back at the Great Rift Valley when Qi Tian had sensed danger and wished to leave, had coerced them into returning. The flyer was none other than Zhong Weixi, a Gold Core Realm powerhouse from the Eight Pill Alliance.

Zhong Weixi was no simple character; as an outer member of the Gold Core Realm cultivators in the Eight Pill Alliance, his cultivation had reached the astonishing level of the Gold Core Realm Fifth Level Peak, making him a bit more formidable than Zhao Haiying, Qi Tian’s strongest underling.

This time, the Eight Pill Alliance had deployed a total of twelve Gold Core Realm cultivators here, including four core Gold Core Realm cultivators led by the deputy alliance leader, Wang Fengna, and each core Gold Core cultivator brought two outer members of the Gold Core Realm. Zhong Weixi was one of them.