"This is?!"
When the Demon Sect Young Master, the Demon Sect Priest, and the two young women reached the end of the secret passage, they were astonished to find the ancient teleportation array, which Lin Li had just finished replacing the spirit stones for.
"At the end of the secret passage beneath the blood altar, there's an ancient teleportation array!"
"I wonder where this array leads?"
Both the Demon Sect Young Master and the Priest were filled with uncertainty, "This must be related to the origins of the Demon Lord!"
"Chunlan!"
"Here!"
One of the maidservants replied promptly, "What are your orders, Young Master?"
"Go to the center of the teleportation array. After being transported, return and report where the array leads."
As he spoke, the Demon Sect Young Master handed her a storage bag filled with a large number of spirit stones, "If the array on the other side lacks spiritual energy, use the stones from the bag."
"Young Master!"
The other maidservant, Qiujv, nervously protested, "The other end of the teleportation array is unknown and may be dangerous. To send her like this..."
"Sister, there's no need to say more!"
Chunlan, resolute in her mission, said firmly, "For the sake of the Young Master, I would walk through fire and water without hesitation!"
"Good!"
The Demon Sect Young Master nodded in satisfaction.
Chunlan then stepped into the center of the ancient teleportation array and activated it.
Brilliant rays of light surged from the patterns of the array.
However...
When the light faded, Chunlan remained standing exactly where she was.
"This..."
Chunlan was a bit confused.
The Demon Sect Priest sighed and shook his head, "It seems the ancient teleportation array itself is functioning, but perhaps due to its age, the receiving end is no longer intact. That's why Chunlan couldn't be transported."
"What a pity!"
The Demon Sect Young Master sighed, "This time, we'll have to return to the main altar and request assistance to repair the blood altar."
...
On a distant and desolate island, far away from Hongjiang, a cave lay hidden in a dense forest.
Inside the cave.
After destroying the teleportation array in front of him, Lin Li smiled bitterly, "To prevent the Demon Sect experts from pursuing me through the teleportation array, I had no choice but to destroy it. However, this array is inscribed with ancient runes, and now that it's damaged, it's impossible to use it to return."
"I should scout the area first and assess my situation before making further plans."
After exiting the cave, Lin Li explored the island, realizing that it was a small, barren island only about ten miles wide.
Luckily, the island had some fruit trees, animals, and a freshwater spring.
Due to its coastal location, Lin Li could sustain himself by gathering fruits, fishing, and drinking the spring water.
However...
"I don't want to be trapped on this deserted island for the rest of my life!"
With that thought, Lin Li used his sword to carve out a stone chamber on a cliff facing the sea, where he then began his closed-door cultivation. At the same time, he kept an eye on the sea, hoping for a passing ship to rescue him.
Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and three years passed quickly.
In those three years, Lin Li absorbed all of the energy that Ye Fan had been feeding back to him in the first three months, pushing his cultivation to the peak of the sixth level of the Foundation Establishment realm.
Over the next year and a half, Lin Li consumed the pills he had acquired from Xuantian Sect, further advancing his cultivation to the peak of the eighth level of Foundation Establishment.
After exhausting all the pills he had for cultivation, Lin Li spent the last year using his remaining lower-grade spirit stones for cultivation.
Finally, Lin Li reached the ninth level of the Foundation Establishment realm!
"Hoo!"
Seated in meditation, Lin Li exhaled a long breath.
Now that his cultivation had reached the ninth level of Foundation Establishment, his supply of lower-grade spirit stones had been completely depleted, leaving only the mid-grade spirit stones.
However, Lin Li wasn't particularly happy about his progress.
"Three years have passed, and not a single ship has sailed by."
Lin Li's heart sank, "Could it be that this island lies on a route no ships ever pass through? Am I really going to be stuck here for the rest of my life?"
"If that's the case, I'd rather be dead!"
Ye Fan was also in a foul mood, "If Lin Li can't escape this island, and he eventually dies of old age, this teleportation array will remain destroyed. That would mean I'd never find another swordmaster, and the destruction of my home planet will go unavenged! This can't happen!"
Lin Li sighed deeply, "Although I've reached the ninth level of Foundation Establishment, and I could keep cultivating until I reach the peak of the ninth level, without being able to leave this island, I won't be able to acquire the technique for forming a golden core. I'll be stuck at this level for the rest of my life."
After three long years, Lin Li's hair had grown out, making him look like a wild man. Clenching his teeth, he felt the weight of his predicament. "This is unbearable!"
Suddenly!
Lin Li's breathing quickened.
There it was...
A ship!
In the distance, on the horizon, a sailboat was moving across the sea!
Without wasting any time, Lin Li didn't wait idly, nor did he try to make a commotion to attract the ship's attention—he wasn't willing to take any risks with his newfound hope!
Leaping into the sea, Lin Li used his spiritual energy to swim toward the ship.
Although his speed in water wasn't as fast as it was on land, with his cultivation, Lin Li moved swiftly, gliding through the water like a fish.
Even so, the ship was farther than it appeared, and it took Lin Li nearly half an hour to catch up.
From a distance on the island, the ship had looked small, but now that Lin Li was close...
He was amazed!
It was a massive three-masted ship, about seventy to eighty meters long, with dozens of oars slicing through the water along the sides. It cut through the waves with impressive force!
"Whoosh!"
Lin Li stepped lightly on the water, and his body shot up like an arrow, landing on the deck of the ship!
"Who goes there?!"
The sailors on deck were shocked, while a group of armored soldiers, treating him like a serious threat, drew their swords and surrounded Lin Li.
Beyond the soldiers, Lin Li noticed a beautiful young woman dressed in an exotic, sky-blue gown.
The young woman appeared startled, and by her side stood an old Daoist with white hair and a peculiar black-and-white robe.
Lin Li found it strange that, in such a distant land, the language these people spoke was almost identical to that of Zhao Kingdom, with only a slight difference in accent.
"Protect the princess!"
"Attack!"
The commanding officer shouted, leading the soldiers in a charge toward Lin Li.
"Stop!"
At that moment, the elderly Daoist barked sharply.
"Master Protector?!"
The commanding officer hesitated, confused and angry, "This man's origin is unknown, and his sudden appearance could threaten the safety of the princess!"
"You're no match for him!"
The old Daoist rebuked, "If he intended to harm the princess, he wouldn't have waited until now!"