「In the Pill Hall.」

Ling Changqing chatted calmly with his lovely companions for a moment before making an excuse that he was a little tired and wanted to rest.

Ling Qiyue and the other women didn’t suspect a thing and let him return to the Inner Study.

A moment later, Xiao Meiniang, Yang Yunfei, and their two companions silently slipped inside.

They had changed into transparent maid outfits, wearing no undergarments beneath. The tantalizing view was on full display.

Evidently, they had come seeking private tutoring from Ling Changqing again, hoping to play some indescribable games on the side.

But this time, they were in for a disappointment.

"Huh? Where’s Master?"

Yang Yunfei asked in surprise, staring at the empty Inner Study.

"I don’t know. But he definitely came in just a moment ago."

Chen Zihan muttered. She had bribed the maid on duty at the door handsomely to get a tip-off.

The four women searched high and low for a while but still found nothing, so they had no choice but to leave in disappointment.

Perhaps Master had gone somewhere else to accompany his official Dao Companions. If so, the four women knew better than to disturb him.

At that very moment, Ling Changqing was already inside the Grotto Heaven Blessed Land within the Era Star Palace.

It was a small world, about a kilometer in diameter. A gentle, misty light illuminated every corner, and the ground beneath his feet was a hard, pale green jade.

The Spiritual Qi here was exceptionally pure and abundant. It surpassed a Third Grade high rank Spirit Vein and reached the level of a Grade Four Spirit Vein, which was equivalent to the Cave Mansion Hall of a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

"Don’t worry, Master,"

the enchantingly beautiful Gong Ling at his side said with a smile. "This place is already the equivalent of an Outer Heaven Little World. No matter how advanced their Celestial Secret Calculation techniques are, they’ll never be able to track you down."

"That’s a relief."

Ling Changqing breathed a sigh of relief. This was a new ability the Era Star Palace had manifested when he broke through to the Golden Core Master Realm.

From now on, as long as he hid inside, he could not only enter Cultivation in Seclusion but also be guaranteed absolute safety. Even a Divinity Transformation Powerhouse standing right before it wouldn’t be able to detect a thing.

"How long will this Celestial Secret Calculation method of theirs last?"

Ling Changqing asked.

Gong Ling explained, "This kind of method is incredibly draining. Even if all the top factions in the Yuzhou Cultivation Realm joined forces, they couldn’t sustain it for long."

"Alright, then. I’ll rest here for a few days."

Ling Changqing said, sitting down cross-legged. The Spiritual Qi here was abundant, after all; it would be a waste not to use it.

...

「Within the fortified grounds of Lu Hua Palace.」

On Baiyu Plaza, outside the Secret Hall, a thousand hand-picked Female Cultivators stood in a neat formation. They were already prepared to depart and were only waiting for the results of the Celestial Secret Calculation inside to set off immediately.

Flow Shadow Ice Cicada, Liu Ying Meng Luan, and other prominent women were in their ranks. Among them were the nine Saintesses of Lu Hua Palace and over a hundred of its core disciples. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Of course, there were also a number of high-ranking Elders, with no shortage of powerhouses at the Nascent Soul True Monarch level.

Not only did they possess profound Cultivation and excellent Spirit Root Talent, but every one of them was also a hand-picked great beauty. The reason for this was obvious without asking.

Behind this impressive formation of beauties, five Spirit Treasure Level high-speed Celestial Boats hovered in waiting. At their speed, they could traverse the entire Yuzhou Continent in a matter of days.

Of course, behind them, an even larger legion of High-Level Female Cultivators was also on high alert, ready to be dispatched as reinforcements upon receiving the order.

The process of retrieving the Child of Destiny would not be smooth sailing. Ambushes and bloody battles along the way were inevitable, so no amount of preparation could be considered excessive.

For Lu Hua Palace and the Liuying Family, this joint operation was of monumental importance. Failure was not an option.

Inside the Secret Hall, the Celestial Secret Mixed Cave Origin Array was still running.

As time passed, the eight radiant women presiding over the Array grew pale. Sweat soaked through their heavy robes, and their Magical Power was nearly depleted. It was clear they could not continue for much longer.

"Stop for now!"

Qin Mengxuan said with a frown, standing nearby.

The eight women breathed a collective sigh of relief and simultaneously ceased their output of Magical Power.

Liu Ying Ziying, Su Qinglian, and the other high-ranking Elders were all present. Every one of them had a solemn expression, lost in silent contemplation.

"What’s going on? Is there still no news?"

Qin Mengxuan asked.

The woman in the lead reported in a low voice, "We seemed to have found a lead, but before we could confirm it, his aura vanished without a trace. It was as if..."

"As if what?"

"As if... he suddenly left this realm!"

"That’s impossible!"

Qin Mengxuan’s elegant brows shot up. "His Cultivation is at the Core Formation Realm at most! How could he possibly have the power to leave this realm? Even a Nascent Soul True Monarch can’t do that, can they?"

Liu Ying Ziying speculated, "Perhaps he has some special ability on his person? Or maybe it was a tool, something like an Ancient Heavy Artifact. That could probably do it, right?"

Since he was the legendary Child of Destiny, it was only natural for him to possess some extraordinary abilities.

Just like last time, when Ling Changqing managed to slip past the top leaders of all the major powers and leave Dragon Soul Valley without a trace.

At first, everyone assumed some mysterious faction had beaten them to it. But in hindsight, it was most likely just another one of Ling Changqing’s special abilities.

"If that’s true... does that mean our plan has failed?"

Su Qinglian’s expression darkened. The leaders of their two families had mobilized on such a massive scale and invested so many resources, thinking victory was within their grasp. They never imagined it would all fall apart at the last second.

Qin Mengxuan pondered for a moment, then sighed softly. "Perhaps this is fate. There’s nothing more we can do."