Chapter 619: Bumpkin

Among these four individuals, two were women. One had her hair in a bun, with two strands like weeping willows falling from her ears. Several sparkling sequins adorned her brows, and her crescent moon-like eyebrows framed bright, intelligent eyes like pearls. Her delicate, melon-seed-shaped face resembled warm jade. Though not possessing unparalleled beauty, she had a charm that could outshine the moon. She appeared to be around twenty years old, but a hint of insight in her eyes revealed a maturity beyond her apparent age.

She wore a white dress that, though not form-fitting, still accentuated her curves, making her quite captivating.

Cultivators are skilled at preserving their youth, and those with profound cultivation can even extend their Lifespan. From their appearance, it is often difficult to discern their true age.

Beside this woman, the other woman appeared somewhat ordinary. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, making her seem delicate and fragile, as if a gust of wind could carry her away. She wore a pink dress, which made her complexion appear rather pale. Compared to the woman with the moon-eclipsing charm, this woman lacked a certain stunning quality but evoked more pity.

“Two Junior Sisters, this is the Cloud Mist Mountain Sea of Water Demon Prefecture. I stumbled upon this place by chance back then and lingered here, reluctant to leave. Although I, your Senior Brother, have never been to the Immortal Realm, this Cloud Mist Mountain Sea must surely surpass the Immortal Realm. Brother Murong, what do you think?” a young man in a red robe said softly, standing beside the two women.

This young man was quite handsome and exuded an air of arrogance, like a favored child of heaven.

“Acceptable!” the other man beside him said coldly. This person wore black clothes, his face stern. After speaking, he closed his eyes and said no more.

The Red-Robed Young Man smiled slightly; he was already accustomed to the other's brief way of speaking.

“Senior Brother Du, you lingered here, I'm afraid it wasn't just for this cloud mist,” the woman with the moon-eclipsing charm said with a slight smile.

“To be honest, Junior Sister Zhao, I discovered a fissure in this sea of clouds. This is likely the legendary Tidal Abyss,” the Red-Robed Young Man chuckled.

The woman surnamed Zhao's eyes flickered, and just as she was about to speak, the black-clothed young man, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and stared intently into the distance.

“Very strong!” the black-clothed young man said, his eyes flashing.

In the distant sky, a long rainbow streaked through the air, transforming into a white-clothed young man in mid-air. This person had an ordinary appearance, nothing remarkable. He stood in mid-air, not even looking at the four people, but instead coldly swept his gaze over the cloud mist, then stepped forward.

“It's him!” The red-robed man recognized the other's appearance and was slightly startled, but then a look of surprise flashed in his eyes. He perceived the other's cultivation, which had actually reached Soul Transformation! His mind instantly raced, and a smile appeared on his face as he said, “Junior Brother Wang, stop!”

The white-clothed young man was Wang Lin. He paused, turned his head, and glanced at the four people. The first person he looked at was not the two women, nor the Red-Robed Young Man, but the black-clothed man.

“This person could detect me from a thousand li away; his cultivation is not weak. Judging by the immortal essence power within him, he should be in the Early Stage of Soul Transformation!” Wang Lin's gaze was calm as he swept over them one by one, finally settling on the Red-Robed Young Man. He was somewhat familiar with this person, a Disciple of Tian Yunzi's Purple Lineage.

Among these four, apart from the black-clothed man, the other three were all in the Great Perfection of the Late Stage Nascent Soul Transformation. However, that Purple Lineage young man had clearly already stepped one foot into Soul Transformation. If he wished, he could achieve Soul Transformation at any time. He likely hadn't taken that step due to concerns about the 'Morning Birth, Evening Death' hurdle for those seeking the Dao!

“Junior Brother Wang, I am Du Jian,” the Red-Robed Young Man chuckled. He quickly realized that Wang Lin probably didn't know his name.

“Greetings, Senior Brother Du,” Wang Lin said, cupping his fists.

Du Jian smiled and pointed at the black-clothed man, saying, “Junior Brother Wang, he is Murong Zhuo of the Mo Sect. As for these two, they are Fellow Daoists from the Floating Cloud Sect.”

The black-clothed man, Murong Zhuo, carefully scrutinized Wang Lin for a few moments, then cupped his fists and said, “Fellow Daoist Wang, I am Murong Zhuo, a fourth-generation Disciple of the Mo Sect!”

After Murong Zhuo finished speaking, Du Jian and the other two women all showed a hint of surprise in their eyes. Throughout their journey, none of them had ever heard Murong Zhuo speak more than five words in a single sentence. His taciturn and reserved personality was deeply ingrained in their minds.

Even when they encountered fellow Cultivators in the Middle Stage of Soul Transformation on the road, Murong Zhuo had never uttered so many words.

Especially since the emphasis of his words was on introducing himself, the three of them had all Cultivated for many years, and to reach this level, they naturally weren't foolish. These simple words, however, conveyed a sense of respect among peers.

The woman surnamed Zhao, who possessed captivating beauty, looked at Wang Lin with her beautiful eyes and smiled charmingly, saying, “Senior Brother Wang, I am Junior Sister Zhao Yixuan, and this is my Junior Sister Xu Fei.”

“Xu Fei…” This simple name stirred a memory in Wang Lin. He couldn't help but look at the delicate woman, who bowed slightly to Wang Lin and softly said, “Xu Fei greets Senior Brother Wang.”

Du Jian glanced at Wang Lin, smiling meaningfully, “Could it be that Junior Brother Wang knows Junior Sister Xu?”

Wang Lin shook his head and said, “No, I don't. It's just that Junior Sister Xu's name is the same as a fellow Disciple of mine when I was young.”

Du Jian smiled slightly, avoiding the topic, and said, “Junior Brother Wang, have you come here for the Tidal Abyss?” He didn't try to hide or fish for information but was direct.

Wang Lin's expression was normal, and he nodded, “Precisely!”

Du Jian's gaze sharpened, and he said, “Junior Brother Wang, the Tidal Abyss is extremely dangerous. Even with your Soul Transformation cultivation, it might be difficult to enter. Our four people's goal is also the Tidal Abyss, so why don't we go together? We can look out for each other.”

Wang Lin pondered for a moment. He had some knowledge of the dangers within the Tidal Abyss. Before coming here, he had already checked it with the crystal Bellow had given him. There were a few places where, with his cultivation, he would need to take risks to pass.

If Murong Zhuo hadn't been among these four, Wang Lin would have immediately refused. But with Murong Zhuo present, the situation was different. Although Murong Zhuo's cultivation was only in the Early Stage of Soul Transformation, since he could detect Wang Lin from a thousand li away, he must possess some extraordinary Divine Ability.

Wang Lin smiled slightly and said, “That would be excellent!”

Du Jian's face was smiling, but in his heart, he coldly snorted. It was impossible for him not to have any suspicion or jealousy regarding Wang Lin's rapid ascent to Soul Transformation in such a short time.

He clearly remembered that when he first saw Wang Lin, the latter was merely a Cultivator in the Middle Stage of Nascent Soul Transformation. Yet now, in just a hundred years, this person had actually reached the Early Stage of Soul Transformation, and from his appearance, it didn't seem like he had just reached it; rather, it seemed he had taken the step into Soul Transformation long ago!

“This Bumpkin from a abandoned star has increased his cultivation so quickly, there must be a reason. Moreover, he actually escaped the life-and-death tribulation during his Soul Transformation. This matter is probably not that simple! And if this person continues to develop, his cultivation will probably be even higher when he leaves here in four hundred years. In that case, his Purple Lineage status will immediately rise.”

Malicious intentions arose in his heart, but on the surface, Du Jian showed not a trace, his smile gentle, as if he were truly an older brother.

However, he was facing Wang Lin, who had crawled through life and death on the Vermilion Bird Star for hundreds of years, experiencing many things that most people would never encounter in a lifetime, and had long since honed his quick wit and intelligence.

He was truly poles apart from the Bumpkin Du Jian imagined.

Du Jian's life, compared to Wang Lin's, was utterly insignificant!

The group of five had no further conversation and headed straight for the Cloud Mist Mountain Sea.

The clouds and mist swirled, some even forming illusory mountain and sea landscapes, appearing extremely magnificent while also possessing a captivating beauty.

Zhao Yixuan's beautiful eyes occasionally glanced at Wang Lin ahead. She found this man somewhat unfathomable. In this Demon Spirit Land, even the Demon Commanders, she could see through their inner thoughts at a glance. In the past hundred years, there were only two and a half people she couldn't see through.

Wang Lin's figure ahead, seen through layers of cloud and mist, appeared somewhat blurry. Zhao Yixuan's gaze also seemed obstructed by the mist, making it even harder to discern.

The first person she couldn't see through was Chen Long of the Great Luo Sword Sect. There was always a veil of mist around him, and when she tried to look closely, that mist would turn into a sharp sword, preventing her intrusion.

As for the half-person she couldn't see through, that was Murong Zhuo! Zhao Yixuan's gaze swept over Murong Zhuo ahead.

This Murong Zhuo, in her eyes, sometimes seemed clear and transparent, but at other times he was like a stagnant pool, making it difficult for her to fathom his thoughts due to these changes.

The last person she couldn't see through was this suddenly appearing Wang Lin. In Zhao Yixuan's eyes, Wang Lin was even more peculiar. He didn't have the mist like Chen Long, nor the changes like Murong Zhuo, but this person completely locked away his entire mind with his own willpower!

He didn't need mist, he didn't need illusions; he just needed to close the door to his heart!

A strange light flashed in Zhao Yixuan's eyes. Just then, Wang Lin, who was moving ahead, suddenly turned his head while running, seemingly casually glanced at her, then withdrew his gaze and turned back.

But that gaze, like a sharp sword, directly pierced into Zhao Yixuan's mind.

“Is it a warning…? This Wang Lin is very interesting. Even Chen Long of the Great Luo Sword Sect only noticed me after I strengthened my Divine Ability. As for Murong Zhuo, he only detected my Divine Ability through a few clues… But this Wang Lin, he immediately sensed an anomaly the moment my thought stirred…”

A look of interest appeared in Zhao Yixuan's eyes, but it was quickly hidden deeply.

As Wang Lin walked, his eyes flickered, and a cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“These four are quite interesting. Besides each having their own thoughts, their Divine Abilities are not weak. However, among the four, the most extraordinary one should be that delicate woman surnamed Xu. There is always a strange feeling about her…”

All five moved extremely fast, gradually passing through the clouds and mist. In front of them, a deep gully on the ground appeared before everyone's eyes.

This fissure was enormous, about ten zhang wide, and its length reached a thousand zhang, extending into the clouds and mist at the end of their sight. This gully-fissure resembled both a gaping, eerie mouth on the ground and something caused by a Divine Ability.