The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 223 The Mystery of the African Project Appearing in Beihai

In the southern sea area of ​​the Southern Han Kingdom on the Floating Continent, lies Fengyu Island and Fengyu Mountain.

Ye Fan raised an eyebrow and turned his gaze to Sun Li (Huang Yuyan), not stopping her from making this sudden request. The cold, deathly silence of the mountaintop seemed to be torn open, and everyone's gaze—surprise, speculation, and even a faint glimmer of hope—was firmly locked on Sun Li.

After a brief silence, Yue Wuhen took a deep breath, enduring the excruciating pain and weakness of his mortal body, struggling to sit upright amidst the dust, trying to maintain the last shred of dignity. His filthy, moon-white robe clung to his body, and his voice, tinged with suppressed gasps and a barely perceptible hint of obsequiousness, spoke: "The Floating Life Continent... cough cough... its current state stems from the cataclysmic upheaval three months ago, but the schemes of various forces have been brewing for at least twenty years..." Fine beads of cold sweat glistened on his ashen face from his forced composure, and his stained cuffs trembled slightly as he tried to keep his tone steady, "After that upheaval, the continent's格局 (geju, a concept encompassing overall structure, overall situation, and overall dynamics) was completely reshuffled. However, the undercurrents... had already begun to stir more than twenty years ago."

“Now,” he said, his Adam’s apple bobbing as if swallowing a non-existent saliva, “the true masters of life are those in the four directions. In the east, the Tang Clan of the Tang Kingdom is the foremost, its influence spreading throughout the entire Floating Life Continent. In the north, the Wenyuan Sect of the Western Wu Kingdom is the most prominent, encompassing the most famous mountains. In the south, the Sword Immortal Sect of the Southern Han Kingdom dominates the entire southern sea region. In the west, the strongest is the Chu Qin Sect of the Chu Kingdom. In addition, some major sects have also occupied some famous mountains and rivers on the Floating Life Continent, but these places were originally their bases, only their territories have expanded due to the unfolding of the folded space—such as the Red-Clothed Sect of Mount Emei, the Shu Mountain Sect of the Western Shu Kingdom, the Shadow Sect of the Shadow Swamp, and the Thundercloud Temple and the Sleepless Clan in the southern Black Forest…”

"After saying so much, tell us which areas your four families occupy," Sun Li said casually.

“Yes, we didn’t manage to claim any land. We originally thought Fengyu Mountain was unclaimed…” Li Wujiu’s voice was low.

Yue Wuhen suddenly spoke urgently, his voice hoarse from weakness and the urgency to explain: "No! That's not it!" He struggled to straighten his body, the stains on his moon-white robe fluttering off. "We...we did take action! It's just...it's just that we haven't fully taken over yet!"

His pale face was covered in cold sweat. His gaze swept urgently over Li Wujiu, Yin Jiuzhu, and Liu Xuanfeng, as if seeking approval, or perhaps trying to distance himself. "After the upheaval, all places rich in spiritual energy have become the focus of contention. Although the four of us have joined forces, we are also restraining each other and need to be wary of other powerful forces coveting them... What we can initially control are only some secondary mountains on the edge of the upheaval and with relatively stable spiritual energy. The truly valuable core rivers and mountains... are still unclaimed, or have already been seized by stronger forces!"

Li Wujiu abruptly turned his head, his copper bell-like eyes glaring fiercely at Yue Wuhen. A suppressed, beast-like growl escaped his throat, as if dissatisfied with Yue Wuhen's "confession," or as if his last fig leaf had been torn away. The veins on his thick neck bulged again, and his body, now unarmored, was muscular and exuded a dangerous aura.

Yin Jiuzhu's empty pupils suddenly contracted, and his body beneath the wide cloak trembled almost imperceptibly. His pale lips moved slightly, but he ultimately remained silent, lowering his head even further as if trying to completely conceal himself in the shadow of the cloak. Yue Wuhen's abrupt rebuke shattered the last fragile lie he was trying to preserve regarding "not occupying any land."

The dust on Liu Xuanfeng's gray robe seemed to have thickened even further. His pale, numb face was expressionless, as if Yue Wuhen's words had nothing to do with him, or perhaps, he had already been drained of all reflexes by the successive blows. Behind him, the Hidden God Sect cultivator who had vomited blood earlier began to convulse violently again, emitting unconscious hoarse sounds like a broken bellows.

"Oh?" Sun Li (Huang Yuyan) drew out the last syllable, the playful curve of her lips deepening, her eyes sharp as knives as she scanned back and forth between Yue Wuhen's eager-to-explain face and Li Wujiu's furiously restrained body. "A secondary mountain? So you're saying you came all this way to cause trouble for Fengyu Mountain because... it looks 'secondary' enough, 'soft' enough, easy to crush?" Her voice still carried Huang Yuyan's crispness, but beneath that languid tone was undisguised mockery and all-knowing oppression. "And the result? Did you kick a hornet's nest, or... a tombstone?" She glanced meaningfully at Ye Fan, then surveyed the desolate mountaintop shrouded in invisible rules.

"Alright, stop scaring them. We're counting on them to scout out the way for Beihai," Ye Fan said with a smile.

Yue Wuhen's words were pierced by Sun Li's sarcasm and Ye Fan's light laughter. The air on the mountaintop suddenly froze, as if even the wind had been frozen. Li Wujiu's angry glare froze on his face, and his heavy breathing finally turned into a muffled groan, as if an invisible giant hand had gripped his throat. Under Yin Jiuzhu's wide cloak, his body trembled violently and curled up, his pale face buried in shadow, completely lifeless, like a stone statue eroded by time. Liu Xuanfeng simply closed his eyes slowly, his chest barely rising and falling beneath his gray robe. Among the Hidden God Sect cultivators behind him, another person let out a faint groan, revealing the desolation of impending death.

Sun Li (Huang Yuyan) snorted, no longer looking at their miserable state, and turned to Ye Fan, her lips curving back into that signature playful smile: "Fine, scout it out then. But..." She drawled, her sharp, agile gaze sweeping over the cultivators sprawled on the ground, "Judging by their current state, they could probably scatter in a gust of wind. They couldn't even fight off a wild dog down the mountain. How are you going to scout? Are you just offering yourselves up as free food? Or... are you planning to untie them and prolong their lives?"

“Extending their lives is possible, but it will have to wait until the matter is settled. Whoever makes the greatest contribution will have their life extended.” Ye Fan chuckled and continued, “Luo Yifei, you and Sun Li go and take a look.”

Without hesitation, Luo Yifei replied in a deep voice, "Yes!" With a slight movement, the trace of fatigue was suppressed, and his eyes regained their hawk-like sharpness. Sun Li (Huang Yuyan) pursed her lips and muttered "troublesome," but her movements were not slow at all. In a flash, she landed lightly beside Luo Yifei, her laziness completely gone, revealing a neat and capable demeanor.

Ye Fan's gaze returned to the collapsed crowd. The invisible pressure of the rules had not diminished in the slightest after the two left; on the contrary, it weighed heavily on everyone's backs like solidified leaden clouds. Li Wujiu, Yin Jiuzhu, Yue Wuhen, Liu Xuanfeng, and the twenty limp cultivators behind them—every subtle struggle, every heavy breath—was amplified infinitely in the deathly silence, becoming clearly audible.

Li Wujiu's copper-bell-like eyes were fixed on the direction where Luo Yifei and Sun Li had disappeared. His Adam's apple bobbed violently, as if he were struggling to swallow molten iron. His massive body trembled slightly with extreme resentment. Beneath his rough skin, after his armor was removed, his bulging muscles still rippled under the heavy pressure of the rules, yet he was firmly pressed to the spot, unable to move an inch. His posture was like that of a ferocious beast whose claws and teeth had been pulled out and imprisoned in an iron cage, burning with rage and humiliation.

Yin Jiuzhu's head drooped even lower, the shadow cast by his wide hood almost swallowing his pale face. He huddled in his cloak like a startled bat, desperately trying to shrink into the deeper darkness. Deep within his empty pupils lay the deathly stillness of surviving a catastrophe, and a bone-chilling fear of the endless abyss behind the words "exploring the way." Ye Fan's words, "Whoever makes the greatest contribution will have their life extended," coiled around his last remaining shred of consciousness like a cold, venomous snake.

A fawning smile was forced onto Yue Wuhen's deathly pale face, but it appeared incredibly twisted and pathetic against the backdrop of his ashen complexion and the cold sweat pouring down his face. He struggled, seemingly trying to move even an inch toward Ye Fan to prove that he still had "value," but the invisible restraints made it extremely difficult for him to even lift a finger, and he could only let out rapid, suppressed gasps in vain.

Liu Xuanfeng closed his eyes completely, as if shutting out all external sounds. The dust clinging to his gray robe was like a thin shroud draped over him. Among the Hidden God Sect cultivators behind him, the one who had vomited blood earlier was gradually weakening, his body convulsing until only intermittent, weak hoarse sounds remained, like a leaking bellows. The breath of life was rapidly draining from his eyes, his gaze unfocused, as if covered by a thick layer of dust.

Ye Fan stood silently.

Three hours later, Sun Li and Luo Yifei arrived in Beihai with Li Wujiu, Yin Jiuzhu, Yue Wuhen, and Liu Xuanfeng.

A biting wind, carrying salty, watery vapor, swept over him, stinging his face like icy blades. Li Wujiu instinctively shrank his exposed neck after removing his armor, his copper-bell-like eyes fixed on the vast sea ahead—was this the Netherworld Ghost Domain that had devoured countless powerful beings? The scene before him was utterly different from the terrifying tales he had heard of!

The fog had completely dissipated, revealing an exceptionally wide view. The afternoon sun spilled across the sea, creating shimmering, golden reflections, almost a serene scene. The seawater was a deep, inky blue, not the murky, lifeless turbidity of my imagination. Steep cliffs stretched into the distance on both sides, forming a wide strait, the cries of seabirds echoing in the emptiness, sounding… strangely ordinary, yet unsettling.

"This...is this the North Sea?" Li Wujiu's voice was hoarse and dry, filled with disbelief and a hint of furious rage at being fooled. His massive body trembled slightly in the cold wind, the discomfort of removing his armor intertwined with the immense sense of loss in his heart. This was completely different from the terrifying scene of the forbidden wasteland described in the ancient records and their deductions! If it weren't for the fact that his spiritual power was still tightly suppressed and the excruciating pain from the cracks in his Dao Foundation constantly reminded him of his ordeal on the summit of Wind Whisper Mountain, he would almost have thought this was an absurd joke.

Yin Jiuzhu's wide cloak billowed in the biting sea wind, his empty pupils fixed on the calm surface of the sea, as if trying to pierce the dark blue water and gaze into the abyss beneath. His paper-pale face appeared even more sickly in the sunlight, his muscles twitching slightly from extreme tension. The calmer the sea, the stronger the chill in his heart. The mists of the North Sea had dissipated, the flight ban had been lifted, everything pointed to the source of Fengyu Mountain… and Elder Qingsong was still alive, right beneath this “ordinary” sea! This calm strait, in his eyes, was nothing more than a gigantic maw, silently mocking all the ants who tried to peer into the abyss. He instinctively wanted to retreat, but his heels were rooted to the spot. Ye Fan's words of “contributing to extend life” were like cold chains, strangling all his escape routes.

Yue Wuhen wrapped his filthy, moon-white robe tightly, trying to ward off the biting cold, but to little avail. He forced himself to stand upright, his gaze sweeping greedily and warily over the sea. A humble smile appeared on his ashen face as he addressed Luo Yifei and Sun Li (Huang Yuyan) beside him: "Brother Luo, Miss Sun, here… there is indeed no fog to obstruct our view, and the perception of spiritual energy… is much smoother." He paused, his voice laced with flattery and probing, "But I wonder… where exactly is the entrance to the Netherworld Ghost Realm? We… are willing to serve you." His eyes darted quickly towards Ye Fan's location, his mind racing. Fengyu Mountain had allowed its elders to survive in such a perilous place, and Ye Fan dared to send them here to investigate—beneath this "ordinary" surface lay a shocking secret! If he could make a "contribution" here, it might truly be Yue Wuhen's only hope for a comeback.

Liu Xuanfeng was like a soulless shell, letting the sea breeze tousle his dust-covered gray robe. His gaze was unfocused as he stared at the eerily calm strait, his once tranquil mind now shattered into dust, leaving only a cold numbness. The void of Fengyu Mountain, the abrupt stillness of the North Sea… all his understanding was crumbling. Behind him, the few remaining Hidden God Sect cultivators supported each other, one of them, his face ashen, the very one who had vomited blood on the mountain, now breathing weakly, his eyes vacant, as if he might die at any moment. Liu Xuanfeng ignored Yue Wuhen's flattery, disregarded Li Wujiu's astonishment, and remained unmoved by Yin Jiuzhu's fear. This calm sea reflected no ripples in his eyes, only an endless, suffocating stillness.

Sun Li (Huang Yuyan) crossed her arms, facing the sea breeze, squinting as she surveyed the area. Her signature playful smile remained, but her eyes were sharp as a hawk's. "Tsk tsk, looks pretty 'ordinary'," she drawled, her voice carrying clearly in the wind, "So quiet, not a soul in sight. Hey, big guy," she suddenly turned to Li Wujiu, "didn't you say there were giant snakes here? Where are they? Hibernating? Or were they scared away by your boasting?"

Provoked by this flippant sarcasm, Li Wujiu's forehead veins bulged, and his heavy breathing sounded like the wheezing of a broken bellows. He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, barely managing to suppress the rage that threatened to burst from his chest. His copper-bell-like eyes glared fiercely at Sun Li, a beast-like growl rumbling in his throat, but he couldn't utter a single word. The deathly silence before them was the most merciless mockery of all their previous speculations and fears.

Luo Yifei ignored Sun Li's teasing and Li Wujiu's rage. His expression was cold and stern, his gaze like tempered ice, slowly sweeping across the sea surface, the cliffs, and even the distant horizon, as if searching for any unusual trace. His senses, like invisible tentacles, cautiously extended into the depths of this seemingly harmless sea. After a moment, he said in a deep voice, "The seawater... is too deep. My senses can't reach the bottom. And... there's something down there, very blurry, but... unusually large." His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a boulder thrown into stagnant water, instantly shattering the surface calm.

Just as Luo Yifei finished speaking, a huge, turbid wave suddenly burst open on the sea hundreds of feet away from them!

The waves surged with an eerie, dark green, carrying an indescribable, pungent stench of decay and a fishy sweetness that instantly filled the air. At the center of the waves, something flashed and disappeared, too fast to catch, leaving only a rapidly expanding whirlpool of foam. Then, several broken, unrecognizable dark objects were thrown onto the surface, crashing down and creating even larger splashes. One of them seemed to reflect a small patch of cold, metallic luster in the sunlight before being swallowed by the surging water.

"What is that?!" Yue Wuhen exclaimed in shock, his feigned composure shattering instantly, leaving only horror on his face.

Yin Jiuzhu abruptly took a step back, his wide cloak billowing violently. His face beneath the hood drained of color, and his empty pupils suddenly contracted to pinpoints, locking onto the still-unsettled vortex and floating debris. The pungent stench, the dark green waves… they resembled the filth stirred up by something from the abyss in some ancient records!

Li Wujiu's muscles tensed instantly, like a frightened beast. His large, bell-like eyes were fixed on the water, his heavy breathing abruptly ceasing, replaced by an instinctive, extreme wariness of the unknown predator. This sudden turn of events instantly dragged him from his mocking anger into the cold reality—beneath the calm, indeed, lurked a man-eating monster!

Liu Xuanfeng's unfocused gaze finally focused on the floating fragments, and his body under the gray cloth robe trembled almost imperceptibly.

Luo Yifei's pupils contracted sharply—he recognized the fragment all too well; it was the wreckage of the diving suit's oxygen tank. He already had a hunch: beneath the deep sea, there must be a teleportation altar, or perhaps… a time tunnel.

Liu Xuanfeng retrieved the fragments and handed them to Sun Li. On the mottled metal surface, the four simplified Chinese characters "Africa Project" were still faintly discernible.