I steered away from a straight eastward trajectory, opting instead for the southeast, unleashing my movement technique once more in a blur of speed. What followed, however, shocked me to my core: the entire forest seemed infested with trackers; hunters and pursuers converged from every direction. About a hundred meters ahead, a search party was rapidly closing in on my location.

Startled, I scrambled up the nearest colossal tree, utilizing the dense canopy to conceal myself. From my perch, I saw the jungle floor below swarming with search squads, groups of over twenty individuals. Judging by their strength, they were all clustered between the mid-High and peak-High tiers.

They were perfectly balanced: Mages, Daoists, and Warriors—a complete tactical composition. The two leading figures held tracking hounds, while the others remained vigilant, blades drawn, cautiously parting the undergrowth and branches. The two hounds were constantly sniffing the air, clearly trying to discern a scent, but so far, they hadn't found anything.

At this moment, I had already used the Six-Flavor Fruit to mask my own odor, so the hounds shouldn't have detected me. Still, this situation was unsustainable. Frankly, I desperately wanted to strike them down.

With my power, dispatching them would be effortless. But every one of them held a delicate, slender rod—and it was precisely those rods that made me abandon the thought of attacking. They weren't ordinary sticks; they were tools for launching magical signal flares.

While my speed was immense, I couldn't guarantee killing all twenty-plus of them instantaneously. If even one managed to react and fire a flare, I would be in serious trouble. Holding my breath and silently enduring, it wasn't long before the search unit gradually moved further away.

Hah! That was too close for comfort! I leaned against the trunk, feeling utterly drained and weak.

Analyzing the current situation closely, it seemed my earlier carelessness in neglecting to conceal my scent had given away the general direction of my escape. Looking back, it was indeed a massive oversight. However, they had only pinpointed my general direction; I hadn't engaged them directly, meaning they still hadn't confirmed my precise location.

As time passed and my scent remained masked, their hounds would become useless. The problem was that the entire woods were now surrounded; I couldn't get out. This truly was a dire predicament.

The best course of action seemed to be remaining hidden high in the trees and waiting them out. I could only hope that Shenyin and the others would reach Cangyue soon. In the interim, I had to find a way to hold out on my own.

Thankfully, the trees in this forest were impossibly large and incredibly tall, so hiding aloft offered considerable security. However, finding a tree hollow would make things even better. Thus, I began meticulously feeling my way around the massive trunks, all while carefully listening to the surrounding sounds.

After spending the better part of the morning moving between several large trees, I finally located a hollow situated high up. What surprised me was that the hollow was already occupied by a bear-sized tree bear. Sensing an intruder, the bear launched a ferocious assault.

But to save my own life, I was forced to dispatch it with a single sword strike, thereby claiming its den. Afterward, I quickly erected a barricade at the entrance, using leaves and branches to completely seal the opening. From below, there was no way to discover my hiding spot.

This was a last resort, as I had no idea how many people had encircled the area, but the incessant barking of hounds from all directions confirmed the forest was definitely locked down. Still, I wasn't overly worried about being found now. Given the sheer density of massive trees in this forest, even if they guessed I was nestled in one of them, searching tree by tree seemed practically impossible.

Having tidied the hollow slightly, I settled in with a sense of relief. The cavity was quite spacious, nearly the size of half a bed—certainly big enough for sleeping. The rations and water in my spatial pack would sustain me for quite some time.

However, being confined to a tree hollow for an extended period was deeply uncomfortable. Days passed in a cycle of sleep and restless introspection, simply trying to occupy the time. Gradually, the sounds from outside faded.

It seemed they might have abandoned the intensive search of this specific patch of woods. This same pattern continued for five days. According to my magical clock, ten days had already passed since I separated from Longxin and the others.

Based on the plan, they should have reached Cangyue City by now. If they hadn't arrived by this point, it could only mean they had run into trouble. Regardless of the situation, I could no longer remain idle in the woods.

I quietly climbed down from the tree. After getting a rough sense of direction, I headed west, the rest of the journey requiring me to reach Cangyue City as swiftly as possible. Cangyue City sat at the heart of the Cangyue Plains.

The Cangyue Empire was founded upon the massive Cangyue Island, sometimes referred to as the Cangyue Continent—and this nomenclature had merit. Cangyue Island was vastly larger than typical islands; calling it a continent was hardly an exaggeration. The domain of the Cangyue Empire radiated outward from Cangyue Island, governing the entirety of the Cangyue Continent and six surrounding islands: Tianshu, Tianxuan, Tianji, Yuheng, Kaiyang, and Yaoguang.

Whether it was coincidence or not, the names of these seven islands perfectly matched the ancient Chinese names for the Big Dipper stars. Curiously, Tianquan (Dubhe) seemed missing, yet looking at the complete geographical map of the Cangyue Empire, the largest island, Cangyue Island itself, occupied the exact position corresponding to Tianquan. I wondered if Cangyue Island’s original name had been Tianquan Island.

In terms of sheer continental area, the Molong Empire was undeniably the largest, but compared to the entire dominion of the Cangyue Empire, it was dwarfed. The combined area of the seven Cangyue islands was equivalent to the total territories of the Molong Empire plus the Fengmo Empire. If maritime boundaries were included, the total area governed by the Cangyue Empire nearly equaled the combined landmass of the Molong, Biqi, and Fengmo Empires.

As the seat of power for such a vast realm, Cangyue City was naturally magnificent and grand beyond common imagining. For Longxin and the others, who had never seen such an enormous city, it was staggering. The entire urban area spanned five major districts—Southeast, Southwest, Northeast, Northwest, and Central—and was significantly larger than the combined area of Mengzhong Town and Biqi City.

Each district alone was the size of a major Biqi City. The central area was a perfectly regular octagon, dominated by the massive Cangyue Imperial Palace, which stood as the grandest complex among the Four Great Empires of the Mafa world. The palace structure alone occupied nearly half the size of a Biqi City.

All of this was derived solely from map study. At this very moment, Longxin and the others, accompanied by Shenyin’s group, were weaving through the ceaseless flow of people on the streets of Cangyue City, curiously taking in the sights. The thoroughfares were broad enough to allow eight carriages to travel abreast.

The two central lanes were paved with an unknown golden stone. Despite the dense crowds surrounding them, only a sparse number of opulent carriages moved slowly along these central golden avenues. As I recalled from the Ranger’s Manual, these golden-paved roads were the Empire’s unique creation, termed ‘Palace Roads.’ Only nobles of high standing or officials holding elevated posts were permitted to travel by carriage upon them.

Ordinary citizens or rangers could not easily set foot there, lest they incur arrest by the Cangyue Garrison troops, whose punishments were usually severe. The sides of the street were lined with neat storefronts; not a single miscellaneous stall was visible. Long, well-tended flowerbeds ran alongside the roads, planted with red and green flora and various nameless trees of different sizes.

Following the street to its distant end, the promenade felt somewhat akin to a shaded path within a forest grove. However, Longxin and her group were in no mood to appreciate this globally renowned metropolis. Led by Shenyin, they moved swiftly toward the State Council office representing the Molong Empire within the Cangyue Empire.

It was clear that Shenyin was intimately familiar with Cangyue City. Before long, under Shenyin's guidance, the group arrived before an immense structure resembling a palace. In the open plaza directly ahead stood two statues of monstrous beasts, fierce and grim in appearance.

Their massive mouths resembled those of crocodiles, yet the horns on their heads were somewhat like a deer's antlers, and their bodies were like scaled horses. Although Longxin and the others had never seen such bizarre creatures, they knew these beings were mythical divine beasts, Qilin, rumored in ancient legends. Furthermore, the national beast of the Molong Empire was said to be a Qilin.

This was an astonishing sight for Longxin’s party. Several squads of brightly armored soldiers were diligently patrolling near the entrance. Their expressions were stern, clearly marking them as battle-hardened veterans, men who had seen countless conflicts.

This was easily discernible from the palpable killing intent that seemed almost tangible emanating from them; these soldiers were definitely veterans of long service. Seeing Longxin’s group approach the entrance quickly, the patrolling soldiers immediately formed a defensive line. The young squad leader stepped forward to intercept us: "Who are you people?" "Take me to see the manager here," Shenyin stated, flashing a golden plaque.

"A Royal Insignia!" The squad leader gasped, his initial suspicion giving way to respect. "Please, follow me." ....................................... Soon, the sounds of urgent footsteps echoed from the inner hall.

Several figures rushed out from the inner sanctum. Leading them was a stern-looking man in his fifties. With just one glance, Longxin and the others realized that every single person emerging was a top-tier expert of immense strength.

At the very least, none of the instructors at their academy could compare to any one of these individuals. "Who are you?" The leading elder scrutinized the young man before him—Shenyin, disguised—his expression shifting between uncertainty and gravity. "Teacher Jidu, it's me!" Shenyin could barely keep the tears back.

"It's me, Shenyin!" "And me! Shenyi!" Shenyi's eyes were already bloodshot. "Ah!

Your Highness, and Shenyi!" Jidu exclaimed, utterly stunned. He recognized the disguised youth as the Princess purely by the sound of her voice. "Why are you dressed like this?

Where are the others?" "It's a long story," Shenyin finally broke down, rushing into Jidu's embrace and weeping, "Teacher, please save Xingchen!" "Who is Xingchen? And what exactly has happened?" Although Jidu was anxious, he remained remarkably composed. "This is what happened..." Despite her concern for Xingchen’s safety, Shenyin recounted the entire sequence of events.

"..." Jidu and the others listened, utterly dumbfounded. Crack! In the end, Jidu was so enraged that he smashed the table into splinters with a single punch.

"It must be those bastards from the Wei King's faction! They refused the peace talks, pretended we lacked sincerity by not even sending an envoy, yet secretly dispatched assassins to intercept you!" "Exactly! If they lacked sincerity, they should have just started fighting!

Our Molong Empire has never feared anyone!" the middle-aged man beside Jidu exclaimed indignantly. "Draft the diplomatic letter immediately! We are going to the palace to see the Cangyue Sovereign!" Jidu ground out through clenched teeth.

"This time, we must force them to give us an explanation. I refuse to believe the Cangyue Sovereign is ignorant of the Wei King’s Residence openly hunting down the Princess." "Yes!" Luohou immediately turned and left. Of course, after hearing the Palace Master's briefing, Jidu understood the identities of Longxin and the others.

"Your Highness, we beg your pardon for arriving late to your aid. Please forgive us." "Teacher, this is not your fault. The blame lies with the Cangyue Empire for their breach of faith," Shenyin said.

"Besides, Shenyi and I only experienced fright, not true harm." "Princess, rest assured," Jidu vowed firmly, "We shall escort you. We will absolutely not allow Her Highness to suffer harm again." He then turned and bowed respectfully to Longxin and the others. "The Princess was able to arrive safely in Cangyue City thanks to your assistance this time.

The Molong Empire is deeply grateful. I sincerely hope we can repay your kindness appropriately." "General, you are too kind," Longxin replied. "The Princess and we hit it off immediately; we already consider her one of our companions." "We only hope the General can rescue Xingchen," Longqi urged anxiously.

"We have no idea how Xingchen is doing right now." "Rest easy," Jidu assured them. "Since he is the Princess's brother, he is essentially one of the Molong Imperial family. Anyone belonging to the Molong Imperial family will naturally be protected.

Jidu then turned and commanded his subordinates, "The Seven Dragon Guards, search for Xingchen's whereabouts with all your might. You must bring him back here." "Yes!" The several middle-aged men turned and departed immediately. Meanwhile!

Cangyue City! Wei King's Residence! "What!

The Molong Empire's envoy has arrived safely at the State Council!" The Wei King's usually grim expression contorted into one of monstrous, terrifying savagery. "What in the world happened? Wasn't she supposed to have fled into the forest outside Fengqing City?" "This...

Your subordinate does not understand. The intelligence returned by Liuzhen confirmed the person discovered was Jiuyue Shenyin!" The Dove Group executive stood pale and terrified. No one knew better than him what a ruthless and tyrannical man the Wei King was; countless subordinates had been executed in his rages.

Perhaps he would be next. "Heh heh, quite a clever maneuver," the Wei King said, surprisingly devoid of his usual fury. "We were all played by her." "..." The Dove Group executive remained fearful and unsure how to proceed, simply standing there mutely.

"It was just a poorly constructed decoy that managed to draw all of Liuzhen's attention," the Wei King mused. "Then what is the plan now?" Cangyue Yunpeng asked cautiously. "The Molong Empire's envoy has already submitted the diplomatic letter to the Imperial Court; peace talks cannot be stopped now." "We will deal with that matter later," the Wei King seemed to calm down.

"Even if the Molong Empire's envoy reaches the Imperial Palace, achieving a smooth alliance won't be easy." "Does Your Highness intend to collude with other cabinet members to block this alliance?" "Precisely. Under no circumstances can Cangyue form an alliance with Molong," the Wei King sighed deeply. "And what about that decoy?

How does Your Highness plan to handle it?" Cangyue Yunpeng hesitated. "Cancel the warrant for Ghost Shadow," the Wei King snarled, teeth clenched. "But that decoy must be captured.

I want to see exactly who this person is." "Yes, Your subordinate will arrange it immediately," Cangyue Yunpeng replied solemnly. At this moment! The Misi Bi'er Ocean.

Clear skies! A massive ocean-going sailing ship traversed the waves smoothly! But inside a luxurious private cabin aboard the vessel, Hu Xiaoshan Ye, Longyuan Feixue, and Ying Zhenfeiyan all looked deathly pale.

They sat slumped over chairs, virtually incapacitated. "Ugh!" A retching sound came from outside the door, adding a layer of miserable gloom to the already abnormal atmosphere in the cabin. Ying Zhen Kuangren staggered back to his seat, leaning heavily against the doorframe.

"How much longer is this voyage?" Even Longyuan Feixue, the most martial among them, was listless. Everyone longed for this sea journey to end soon. "The ship has been sailing for less than three days.

It will be at least another three months before we reach Cangyue," Hu Xiaoshan Lin was comparatively better off, having some prior experience with sailing. "Blue Lightning." Xiong Ba Tianxia had completely lost the imposing aura of one who could dominate the world. He was slumped lethargically against the chair like a bear in winter hibernation.

None of them had anticipated that the one most severely afflicted by seasickness would be the largest and seemingly most formidable figure: Xiong Ba Tianxia. "Damn you!" Though the threat lacked any real force, the underlying resentment and unwillingness carried a chilling, terrifying weight. No one doubted that if this massive brown bear ever encountered the kid named Lan Xing, that boy would suffer a truly terrible, terrible fate.

"Old Bear, stop complaining," Ying Zhen Kuangren adopted a kind of gallows humor. "You sound like a jilted wife." "If others overheard this," Hu Xiaoshan Ye managed a wry smile through his labored breathing, "we'd be laughed to death." Li Xie and Ying Zhen Feiyan lacked even the strength to bicker, leaning weakly as if half-dead. This ocean truly was no place for humans.

It was no wonder Hu Xiaoshan Lin had turned green at the mere mention of sailing back then. Only three days had passed, and they were already in this state. How were they supposed to endure another three-plus months?

Perhaps they would all vomit themselves to death from seasickness before they even reached Cangyue. Everyone stared blankly out the window at the vast, endless sea, wondering when these days would ever end.