The Aurora Ferry Boat had been 'borrowed' by Lin Xuanshuang, and much of the material Shen Yuexuan had refined for the Demon-Warding Shuttle was now largely destroyed.
At this point, the only viable mode of transport available was this Azure Fire Mystic Turtle.
Never mind that it was a turtle; its escape speed was quite respectable, and its imposing, majestic appearance meant presenting it publicly wouldn't cause too much embarrassment.
His own Star-Shifting Divine Ability, while incredibly fast—a single leap equating to the sustained speed of an ordinary Immortal cultivator for at least ten breaths—was only effective for his own body.
Carrying another person made the feat exceedingly taxing, making it unsuitable for this moment.
Ye Xuan, witnessing this, merely pursed his lips.
As a cultivator at the peak of the Divine Realm, a mere spirit beast of the mid-Immortal rank was naturally beneath his notice, even if this Azure Fire Mystic Turtle possessed the bloodline of a Divine Beast.
Given his bearing, he certainly showed no signs of contempt.
He simply thought that his Lord truly had risen from humble, disregarded origins within the Lu Family.
He must be quite impoverished; to be the foremost Crown Prince of the Blazing Heaven Sacred Court, yet unable to produce even a decent treasure for void travel.
Zong Weiran also shook his head slightly, musing, "I heard that the first flying vessel of the Cloud Realm, the Demon-Warding Shuttle from the Mo Family back in the day, is now in your hands?" Zong Shou, unaware of the deeper intent, nodded in surprise, "It is with me, Father, but this object is heavily damaged, missing many components." When he returned to the Cloud Realm last time, he had already entrusted Kong Yao to dispatch people to search for the missing parts, and he wasn't sure how many had been found by now.
However, his father asking about it suggested there was a reason. "Consider it your luck.
This is what I obtained before entering the Nine Desolations Death Prison.
Shou'er, you will most likely be able to use them—" As expected, Zong Weiran smiled and, with a grand sweep of his sleeve, flicked dozens of clusters of spiritual light, varying in size, across the void toward him.
Zong Shou’s eyes brightened.
The contents of these lights were varied and strange in appearance.
Yet, Zong Weiran had seen Shen Yuexuan refine components of the same style for some of these items.
If nothing went awry, these objects were most likely the missing parts for the Demon-Warding Shuttle.
He truly wondered where Zong Weiran had managed to procure them.
The fact that his father knew he possessed this treasure clearly indicated that even though he had left the Cloud Realm, he still paid close attention to Zong Shou.
Without hesitation, Zong Shou took out the Demon-Warding Shuttle.
Even before he activated the necessary spiritual incantations to guide them, the clusters of light spontaneously converged, embedding themselves into the shuttle until it became a seamless whole.
With the addition of these several dozen genuine components, the entire aura of the treasure shifted dramatically.
It was no longer merely at the level of a mere Dharma Treasure; streams of seven-colored spiritual light burst forth from within, imbued with the essence of immortality and carrying a faint sense of transcendence.
Even among the Immortal Artifacts Zong Shou had previously witnessed, few possessed such an imposing manifestation.
Even the knowledgeable Ye Xuan couldn't help but show a flicker of astonishment: "Rumor has it that the Mo Family of your Cloud Realm is connected to the ancient lineage of Artifact Refiners.
That whatever they craft are invariably peerless treasures—this statement is indeed true!" Zong Shou smiled.
Judging by this aura alone, it was countless times stronger than that Aurora Ferry Boat.
Forget it! Forget it! If Master wanted to take that broken, trashy flying boat, so be it; he didn't care for it.
It was only regrettable that over a dozen locations on the components remained unfilled, stirring up a keen, almost unbearable yearning.
Just then, he heard Zong Weiran speak: "Shou'er, you are going to the Primordial Lotus World.
I cannot accompany you there.
I have other matters to attend to, and we must part ways here." Zong Shou’s brow furrowed instantly.
They had only just reunited for half an hour, why must they separate already? Although having his father near made him feel somewhat awkward, they were father and son, intimately related.
After more than a decade, they had only met twice.
Furthermore, his mother was now free from captivity, and Zong Weiran’s injuries had not yet healed—what urgent business could he possibly have? Turning his gaze, Zong Shou saw Zong Weiran staring blankly into the void ahead—the direction his mother, Lu Hanyan, had departed.
After only a moment of deep contemplation, Zong Shou grasped his father’s intent and asked doubtfully, "Father, didn't you just say that regarding Mother and the Lu Family affairs, as an outsider, you could not rashly interfere, lest it backfire and implicate Mother? And we, father and son, have not seen each other for a long time—" "That statement was correct!" Zong Weiran smiled faintly, yet his eyes held an unyielding, resolute determination. "But I was separated from your mother for over twenty years.
Watching the Lu Family take her away from me, knowing she was suffering yet being helpless—I owe your mother too much.
Now that she has finally escaped, even if I cannot aid her directly, I must stay near her as much as possible to offer my comfort and fulfill my duty.
Even if we cannot meet, even if it is only for a single day." Zong Shou was momentarily stunned, and then he said no more.
For some reason, a trace of desolate melancholy settled in his heart.
He thought, So it is true.
This son truly cannot compare to his wife.
Since Mother is out of the Death Prison, of course, this son of mine can be set aside.
He probably wishes that Zong Shou would leave sooner rather than be an eyesore in front of him.
Thus, he sighed inwardly, bitterly abandoning his notion of staying with Zong Weiran for a while.
He had originally planned to fulfill his filial duty by his father’s side, but in the end, it turned out to be just Zong Shou’s wishful thinking.
Consumed by shame and indignation, Zong Shou wasted no more time engaging in theatrical displays of father-son affection.
After exchanging a few brief words with Zong Weiran, it served as their farewell.
He then piloted the Demon-Warding Shuttle, taking Ye Xuan and Lu Wubing far away from the Nine Desolations Death Prison.
In the vicinity, there was indeed a seal imposed by the intent of the Pinnacle Realm.
As they traveled, Zong Shou saw several Divine Realm cultivators who, having failed to escape, were now restrained in the void, all appearing miserable, unsure of what manner of punishment or torment they had endured.
Ye Xuan, however, remained perfectly composed.
The collapse of the Underworld Prison appeared to be a prime opportunity for escape, but in reality, the only path to survival rested solely on the shoulders of Zong Shou, the First Heir of the Blazing Heaven Sacred Court.
He had wagered correctly on this game! Indeed, their entire journey was unimpeded.
The Pinnacle Intent had shattered and sealed the surrounding void, yet it specifically did not obstruct this shuttle, allowing Zong Shou and his companions to depart.
The Demon-Warding Shuttle's escape speed was extremely rapid.
Although its rank was comparable to the Aurora Ferry Boat, when operated at full capacity, its speed traversing the void surpassed the Aurora Ferry Boat by a full six times.
In terms of sheer void-traversing velocity, even Zong Shou, who commanded the Star Instantaneous Displacement technique, had to admit inferiority.
The internal space had also expanded from its original ten thousand zhang to a massive hundred thousand zhang! This was nearly comparable to the Grand Zenith Immortal Abode Zong Shou had previously possessed.
It forced one to marvel at the vast gap between Artifact Refiners.
Both were Immortal Artifacts, and while their materials likely differed, the powers manifested from the hands of different refiners were vastly dissimilar.
In just half a day, they had already reached ten worlds away.
The estimated time to reach the Primordial Lotus World was less than fifteen days.
At this point, Zong Shou noticed a subtle strain in Lu Wubing's eyes.
Knowing the reason, Zong Shou inwardly sneered.
It was exactly as he expected: upon sensing that they had exited the Death Prison World, these Immortal Cultivators he had 'subdued' were becoming restless.
They were likely struggling with all their might, exceeding Lu Wubing’s capacity to maintain suppression.
Without delay, Zong Shou signaled for him to take out the jade disk and hand over responsibility for the captives.
He praised him verbally, "I owe this artifact to you!" The original agreement stipulated a half-month period, but his time spent searching within the Underworld Prison had far exceeded that timeframe.
He then looked at the mask on Lu Wubing’s face: "After today, your identity no longer needs to be concealed." Since they were heading to the Blazing Heaven Sacred Court to become embroiled in the Lu Family's power struggles, Lu Wubing’s identity no longer required concealment.
Even if the Sovereign of the Profound Radiance Kingdom learned that Lu Wushuang died by his hand, so what? They were enemies sooner or later; this pretense was no longer necessary. "This matter is not urgent; there are still some obstacles with the Buddhist Sect." Lu Wubing smiled, making no claim of merit regarding the jade disk. "How could one person, Lu Wubing, possibly suppress these Immortal Cultivators? It must be the Venerable Peerless Blaze assisting me—" Zong Shou froze, then let out a cold snort.
Mentioning this person’s name displeased him greatly, and he had no desire to accept the credit.
He shook his head, turning his spiritual sense inward toward the jade disks.
The space within was already in violent turmoil, with restrictions breaking down one after another.
The entire space was on the verge of destruction, much like the Underworld Prison itself.
Inside, the one hundred and seventy Immortal Cultivators, whose cultivation levels varied, were mostly exerting their full effort to struggle, attempting to break free.
Their combined effort created a massive disturbance.
Fewer than one-tenth were truly abiding by their original oaths and waiting quietly.
Zong Shou scoffed internally, feeling ever more grateful that he had made these individuals swear Heart-Soul Oaths and placed protective talismans and curses on each one.
It solidified his resolve: when refining these individuals into Dao Soldiers, he would have to be even more careful and methodical, implementing stricter prohibitions to ensure they could never betray him.
Zong Shou was no saint, and his conscience did not find this behavior improper.
Since these people had agreed back then, the transaction was complete.
He had enabled these one hundred-plus Immortal Cultivators to escape the confinement prison, promising them freedom.
However, this freedom was not without cost: they were bound to serve Zong Shou, willingly becoming his Dao Soldiers to undergo refinement.
With a surge of will, a bloody color reappeared in Zong Shou’s eyes, shining coldly into the jade disk.
The two individuals struggling the most fiercely inside immediately let out a wail as crimson flames erupted all over their bodies.
The expressions of the other Immortal Cultivators shifted; under this pressure of intent, they all ceased their struggling.
The space within the jade disk rapidly stabilized, and the previously damaged seals quickly mended.
The World-Burning Flame, possessing the power to incinerate worlds, also carried the force to stabilize the void.
Integrated with the illusionary divine abilities of the Nine-Tailed Mystic Fox, it further drew upon the power of the soul oath.
These cultivators had presumed their abilities were enough to suppress the heart-demons arising from the oath, but they did not realize that once the oath was sworn, escape from his grasp was impossible.
The fate of those two was merely a demonstration, a warning to the rest.
With the jade disk stabilized once more, Zong Shou began to worry.
He had promised these Immortal Realm cultivators that he would release them quickly.
Now that they had left the Nine Desolations Death Prison, he couldn't keep them confined indefinitely.
At this moment, Ye Xuan asked curiously, "My Lord, are these Immortal Cultivators being prepared for Dao Soldier refinement? Are you perhaps troubled about the proper method to employ?"