World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 573: Empress Nuwas Ancestral Land

Countless planet debris drifted about, making them look like a small forest floating within the cosmos.

Amid the ruins, a hexagonal, semi-transparent barrier shimmered faintly, and the ever-beautiful Lishang burst out of it in her half-serpent form. She supported Wang Sheng, who was covered in blood, with one of his arms over her shoulders. He was still in his armor and had his greatsword on his back.

Lishang murmured, "So it really was the way out. Lin Feiyao wasn't just trying to deceive us."

She spread out her immortal perception and carefully inspected their surroundings.

Wang Sheng took out the Shadowless Shuttle and quickly entered it with Lishang. Finding it hard to even activate the vessel, he handed the helm to Lishang for the first time.

The two had experienced near-death together. Moreover, they shared both merit and hardship. Deep down, he had already come to regard Lishang as... a good bro.

"Let's head to your homeland. Be careful along the way."

"Mm," Lishang responded.

She first helped Wang Sheng sit down slowly, then carefully examined his injuries. As Wang Sheng had said, most of his injuries had healed, and he had made roughly seventy or eighty percent recovery. However, his Dao Body and Primordial Spirit were still completely exhausted. He couldn't muster any strength at all.

The sensation was similar to having both of his kidneys removed.

Wang Sheng leaned against the wall of the shuttle as his mind recalled his and Lishang's recent exchange with Lin Feiyao.

The elder's decision to withdraw without a fight seemed somewhat senseless at first. However, upon giving it some thought, Wang Sheng concluded that it was exactly the sort of choice that a fairly intelligent unaffiliated practitioner would make.

Lin Feiyao had only revealed that she intended to leave the Celestial Wind Sect and find a place to settle in the Northern Sky Region or anywhere else. She would no longer involve herself with thirteen qi planets or sink with the Celestial Wind Sect. In truth, she most likely believed that the Celestial Wind Sect's great ship was already unstable and wished to change the power she relied upon.

Not only was she a Heavenly Immortal, but she was also a rare pill-refining specialist. She wouldn't have a problem making a living anywhere.

Many unaffiliated cultivators shared the same mindset. They'd choose a good tree to roost in, and the moment the tree started to fall, they'd scatter like monkeys.

Some of Lin Feiyao's remarks had been particularly telling.

"During my days in the Celestial Wind Sect, I was mostly responsible for refining pills; I was never deployed to fight the Xinghai Sect. I've developed a strong sense of belonging to it since I joined, tens of thousands of years ago, but the sect master now treats it as nothing but a stepping stone for his son.

"At present, most members of the Celestial Wind Sect feel reassured by the prospect of joining the North-River Sword Sect. They're far too oblivious to the ugly sides of those great sects. Those sects are the true experts at devouring others, bones and all."

That alone made her resentment toward the Celestial Wind Sect evident. Considering her grievances and the shock that Lishang's divine power had caused, Lin Feiyao's withdrawal was within expectations.

Once Lishang entered her homeland, she would break through to the Heavenly Immortal Realm. When she emerged, no one on the thirteen qi planets would be able to stand against her, especially now that the Celestial Wind Sect had lost some of its Heavenly Immortals.

The Celestial Wind Sect hid it from the public, but the Golden Immortal Realm skeleton from the blood mine incident had killed two Heavenly Immortals and severely injured three more. The sect simply told outsiders that several of its elders were in seclusion, but Lin Feiyao knew the truth. Including the injured ones, it should've still had seven Heavenly Immortals left, including the sect master.

However, Tan Lang's death further reduced that number to six, making it roughly equal to the Fengli Sect in strength. Its only advantage now was in its deep foundation and its large number of True Immortals.

Once Lishang became a Heavenly Immortal, the Celestial Wind Sect would lose all hope of survival.

Lin Feiyao's departure left the sect with only five Heavenly Immortals, which put its unit of high-tier combatants far below those of its rival sects. Moreover, to resolve her enmity with Wang Sheng and Lishang, she shared a great deal of information, including nearly the entire foundation of the sect.

According to her, the Celestial Wind Sect's strongest member was its sect master. Not only was he as strong as Long Aotian and Tan Lang, but he also possessed four formidable immortal treasures. His greatest weakness was his son, Li Tianyao.

For his son's sake, he didn't hesitate to sell his entire sect to the North-River Sword Sect. He even frequently offered its income as gifts to win the great sect's favor. Many of his subordinates objected to it.

Lin Feiyao had also warned the two, "The moment news of Tan Lang's death reaches the thirteen qi planets, the Celestial Wind Sect will hasten its submission to the North-River Sword Sect to gain their support. If you haven't returned by then, they'll most likely strike first and eliminate the Xinghai Sect. They're no longer above resorting to such tactics now that their lives are at stake."

Wang Sheng and Lishang remained vigilant. Right now, they could only hope that Yao Xingzi would divinate these developments in advance.

Lin Feiyao had also struck a deal with the duo. She requested that they claim the Celestial Wind Sect's two Heavenly Immortals and five war slaves died at their hands, allowing her to fake her death and sever all ties with the Celestial Wind Sect.

In return, Lin Feiyao gave them three more pieces of information. The first concerned how Tan Lang had set up the grand array here ahead of time.

"We received a recording orb that recorded you two planning your route on the highest floor of the Xinghai Sect's scripture pavilion. Vice Sect Master Lishang, you pointed several times at this region on the star chart, which was so highly detailed that it made this location easy to identify. Tan Lang and I then brought five war slaves here using a teleportation array and waited for nine months."

This information was enough to pinpoint Elder Wen as the most likely to have betrayed Wang Sheng and Lishang.

Right after, Lin Feiyao revealed that the Celestial Wind Sect had a treasure vault full of Immortal Stones and treasures. It served as an anchor to the sect's financial stability. If they wanted to oppose the Celestial Wind Sect, then attacking the vault would weaken the sect far more than killing another of its Heavenly Immortals.

Finally, Lin Feiyao disclosed that Li Tianyao's master seemed to be competing for an important position in the North-River Sword Sect. Li Tianyao even made a deal with the Celestial Wind Sect's sect master a few years ago, taking many treasures with him to support his master. Apparently, they used the treasures as gifts for the North-River Sword Sect's other experts.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Lin Feiyao's lips. "So in truth, if you two want to destroy the Celestial Wind Sect later, the North-River Sword Sect will be your biggest problem. The Celestial Wind Sect is keeping the peace for now, but if it ever falls into trouble, Li Tianyao's master will probably step in to protect it. You should prepare to face him."

Wang Sheng didn't know how she could talk so easily about the Celestial Wind Sect's many weak spots. It was as though she hadn't lived and trained under its banner for tens of thousands of years.

***

Following Lin Feiyao's guidance, Wang Sheng and Lishang had found the grand array's exit and escaped.

They could have left safely even without her help, but they would've had a far more difficult time. Lishang would've had to break through its walls by force.

Still feeling exhausted, Wang Sheng remained leaning against the shuttle's wall, his mind slowly wandering.

Seeing him so tired that his mind had gone blank filled Lishang's beautiful eyes with guilt. Hence, she stayed by his side as she piloted the shuttle toward her homeland.

Fearing another trap, she kept their speed low. She also stayed extremely cautious, carefully watching every direction. Maintaining such vigilance proved quite challenging for her, though. After all, she was already so close to home.

After flying for half a day through many pieces of planet debris, they safely reached her homeland. A transparent sphere greeted them. Though it looked like a gateway, it also appeared to be the whole ancestral land.

It was hidden among the planet debris and didn't affect the nearby stardust, yet it looked completely out of place. Considering it was only ten meters wide, Wang Sheng and Lishang couldn't help but wonder what kind of fierce beasts could even possibly live in it.

Wang Sheng soon noticed that the laws of space seemed different at the sphere's edge, which he found strange.

With her voice shaking a little, Lishang softly said, "Let's go in."

Despite looking as though he wanted to say something, he simply nodded.

They put away the Shadowless Shuttle. Lishang supported Wang Sheng again, seemingly afraid that he'd tuck tail and run.

She walked to the sphere and pressed her left hand against it. A moment later, they were both pulled inside, and scenes flashed around them. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Wang Sheng felt the Great Dao's waves. Right after, a shocking sight greeted him.

This is a small world and its own realm!

Before them was a huge land that stretched as far as he could see, and above was a half-blue, half-dark starry sky. Strange flowers and fruits were all over the place, mixed with the wisps of celestial mist that clung to the ground. In the distance, Mountains rose in clusters, and lakes dotted the landscape like pieces on a board.

It was a shame that there were no signs of people.

Lishang's homeland wasn't large, and it moved often, which made it hard for most cultivators to find it. Moreover, many powerful, fierce beasts guarded it.

The realm didn't have strict rules for entering or leaving, but many layers of arrays protected the areas where Nuwa's descendants had lived.

Lishang breathed out deeply. "Hoooo..."

Looking quite happy, she pointed toward the small realm's deepest part. "Let's head over there."

Without much thought, Wang Sheng answered, "Mm."

Lishang summoned a white cloud and helped him sit on it. She then rode it toward the left edge.

"There's a small path here," she said. "I remember it from the memories I've inherited. It'll lead us straight to the center of this realm while also keeping us away from the beasts."

Wang Sheng nodded again. Finally, he remarked, "Lishang, there's something I have to tell you first."

"What is it?" Looking a little confused, she joked, "Have you fallen for me after all the trouble we've gotten through together? Do you want me to be your partner along with your senior sister?"

Speechless, he could only stare at her.

Lishang stopped smiling and said seriously, "Go on."

Wang Sheng sighed. "Sect Master Qinglin's circumstances made me realize many things, and one of them is that it's better to be honest than to keep secrets. You'll likely find out about this anyway now that we're here, so allow me to be upfront with you.

"Sect Master Yao Xingzi actually asked me to protect you on this trip. For many years, he and Elder Linyuan have worked together to stop you from coming back because this place might have fallen into a tragedy. However, the sect master ultimately chose to let you go anyway despite not knowing all the details. I'd understand if you end up resenting the Xinghai Sect because of this, but at least know that he never wanted to slow down your cultivation..."

Lishang turned pale as she furrowed her brow at Wang Sheng. "So you only risked your life to help me because the sect master asked you to?"

Wang Sheng was surprised. Her focus seemed to be in the wrong place entirely. Is she not going to ask about the tragedy?

"Of course not," he replied. "I really see you as a friend, which is why I'm doing everything I can to help you."

Lishang relaxed a bit. Softly, she confessed, "I actually saw everything that happened back then..."

"Mm?"

Wang Sheng had no idea what was happening anymore.