Qiaodi was covered by layer upon layer of grand formations, and without permission, it was impossible to freely enter or leave. But since this outing had been ordered by Duan Hai, preparations had naturally been made in advance.
Leaving Qiaodi without difficulty, Yang Kai turned to look back and saw that the void where Qiaodi had been was shrouded in impenetrable mist, making it impossible to see anything at all. He couldn't help but worry: "Senior Brothers, I have no idea how long this mission will take. Shouldn't we mark the route? Otherwise, it would be bad if we lost our way on the return."
The portly Ma Liu chuckled. "Junior Brother, you don't understand — this vast expanse of the cosmos is chaotic in direction, with up and down reversed. It's impossible to keep track even if you try. But as long as we have a wayfinding token on hand, no matter how great the distance, we'll always be able to find our way back."
Yang Kai's expression cleared with understanding. On the way Duan Hai had led him into Qiaodi, he vaguely recalled Duan Hai mentioning something about a wayfinding token, though he had never actually seen one and had no idea what it looked like.
He figured it was probably some kind of positional guide Artifact.
"So how do we find that traitor?" Yang Kai asked.
This time it was Jiang Sheng who answered. "Junior Brother Yang, be patient. We have our own methods for finding him. All you need to do is follow the two of us, and when the time comes, take care of the traitor."
"I understand. I'll leave it to you, Senior Brothers." Yang Kai cupped his fists and decided not to pry further. Though he was curious about many things, asking too many questions would arouse suspicion. Since he didn't need to worry about it, why bother? Truthfully, in the few months he had been in Qiaodi, this was his first time leaving.
Qiaodi was no place worth staying. Though he had managed to get aboard Du Rufeng's ship and earn the man's favorable regard, Yang Kai always felt there was more to it than met the eye.
And it had all started from the time he assisted Du Rufeng in collecting the Chixiao Golden Flame!
Yang Kai strongly suspected that his wood-element power had revealed something. He couldn't be certain, but it was better to be safe than sorry. If this trip gave him the opportunity, perhaps he could break free from Qiaodi.
The pity was that he hadn't expected Du Rufeng to hand him such a mission, and without giving him any time to prepare at that. Otherwise, maybe he could have brought Old Fang and Die You along as well.
Ma Liu and Jiang Sheng both possessed Open Heaven Realm cultivation, and their speed through the void was blistering. Yang Kai pushed himself to his limit and could only barely keep up, but even so, it made the two of them look at him with new respect. They had assumed he was just some lucky kid who'd caught Du Rufeng's eye, but it turned out he actually had some skill.
After half a day, Ma Liu suddenly halted, waved his hand, and produced a spherical object. Inside the orb, a wisp of red mist constantly shifted and changed, intermittently pointing in a particular direction.
Putting away the orb, Ma Liu shot off in the direction it indicated.
Yang Kai understood immediately — the spherical Artifact must have tracking abilities. Otherwise, in this vast expanse of cosmos, how could they possibly find the traitor after he'd fled Qiaodi?
A chill ran through his heart. If the traitor carried a tracking seal on him, did he have one too? If Duan Hai had quietly placed something on him and the others when he'd brought them back, Yang Kai would have had little chance of discovering it, given the gap in their cultivation realms.
There was a real possibility! If that was the case, he needed to seriously consider how to break free from Qiaodi. It would be disastrous if, instead of escaping, he exposed his intentions and got dragged back. There would be no good outcome in that.
Hurtling through the void, the vast cosmos stretched out in breathtaking splendor. Suspended within it, anyone would feel the insignificance of their own existence.
Without any sense of how many days had passed, Yang Kai estimated they had been away from Qiaodi for at least ten days or so. The three of them had been traveling nonstop, with Ma Liu periodically checking the orb and adjusting their course according to its guidance.
As time wore on, the expressions of Ma Liu and Jiang Sheng grew increasingly grim.
By now, even if Yang Kai hadn't wanted to ask, he had no choice.
"Senior Brothers, has something gone wrong?"
Ma Liu replied, "Junior Brother Yang, don't worry. Nothing's gone wrong, exactly — it's just that we've traveled rather far from Qiaodi. Anything could happen out here in the void. Even though we're both in the Open Heaven Realm, we're only First-Order Open Heaven. If we really ran into danger, we might not be able to guarantee your safety."
Jiang Sheng cursed under his breath. "I thought we'd catch up to that bastard easily, but the fellow's running faster than I expected. I don't know if he's been practicing some kind of secret technique."
Only then did Yang Kai realize that things had developed beyond the two men's plans — the traitor had fled much farther than anticipated.
Ma Liu said, "We need to pick up the pace. If we let him keep running like this, there's no telling how long we'll be chasing."
Jiang Sheng nodded. "Junior Brother Yang, forgive us." With that, he and Ma Liu flanked Yang Kai on either side, each gripping an arm, and suddenly surged forward at dramatically increased speed, tearing through the void like lightning.
They continued on for more than three days like this when joy suddenly appeared on Ma Liu's face. "He's stopped."
"He must be healing his injuries!" Jiang Sheng raised an eyebrow. "How far?"
Ma Liu glanced at the orb in his hand. "Half a day's travel!"
Jiang Sheng said, "Junior Brother Yang, get ready. When we see that traitor, you'll have to handle him. The two of us will provide support from the side."
"I appreciate it, Senior Brothers!" Yang Kai cupped his fists.
Ma Liu laughed heartily. "Think nothing of it! Just don't forget to put in a good word for us two once you've made it big, Junior Brother."