Chapter 253

Chapter 253: The Eerie Carefree Island

Hearing these words, Lou Yun immediately stood up abruptly, and his expression instantly turned extremely serious!

If Leng Cangqiong really went to Carefree Island to meet the Three Immortals of Eastern Ling, it would definitely be a major matter!

Mei Yuanmu saw Lou Yun’s reaction and quickly added: "Island Master, this is only my personal guess; I might have been mistaken, and as you said, Elder Leng could simply be exploring nearby!"

Compared to Mei Yuanmu and others, Lou Yun naturally had a better understanding of Leng Cangqiong’s personality; he knew Mei Yuanmu’s speculation was correct—Leng Cangqiong had absolutely gone to find the Three Immortals of Eastern Ling!

Because given Leng Cangqiong’s strength, status, and character, upon hearing that experts like the Three Immortals existed, he would inevitably want to confront them.

Although this news shocked Lou Yun, he wasn’t overly worried about Leng Cangqiong’s safety, as in his view, on Spirit Weapon Star, even including the Nine Clans, few could harm Leng Cangqiong.

But regardless, Lou Yun couldn’t calmly wait for Leng Cangqiong’s return, especially with Domineering Island watching threateningly from the side, which troubled him greatly.

After a moment of contemplation, Lou Yun asked: "Mei Yuanmu, how is your investigation into the situation at Domineering Island going?"

"The people sent out should return by tomorrow at the latest. So far, we’ve gathered some information from Kang Datong. When do you wish to begin the operation, Island Master?"

"Dealing with Domineering Island can wait for now; I must first retrieve my elder brother. Do you think Mo Linsheng will send troops to attack Divine Weapon Island during this time?"

Mei Yuanmu pondered and said: "He probably won’t!"

"Why?"

"Because according to Kang Datong, Mo Linsheng is currently focused on subduing another faction. He sent Kang Datong here just to extort more spiritual crystals, so he likely lacks the energy for us right now."

"Another faction?" Lou Yun curled his lips into a slight smile and nodded: "Good. If that’s the case, I’ll go find my elder brother first. After I return, we’ll plan the attack on Domineering Island together."

"Island Master, rest assured, I’ll defend Divine Weapon Island even if it costs my life!"

"Hah, Mei Yuanmu, I believe you can, but remember: at all times, your own life is most precious. If Mo Linsheng truly attacks Divine Weapon Island and you can’t win, retreat quickly to preserve yourselves. Don’t foolishly waste your lives; as long as you survive, opportunities will come later."

These words filled Mei Yuanmu’s heart with emotion again, making him deeply admire Lou Yun’s character—what kind of island master would willingly abandon hard-won territory just to protect his men’s lives?

"Understood, Island Master!"

"Hmm, but don’t worry excessively. I’ll speak with Wen Hou and Tie Sha; with them present, even if outmatched, they can hold for a few days, likely long enough for me and my elder brother to return."

Thus, Lou Yun asked Mei Yuanmu for the exact location of Carefree Island, then sought out Wen Hou and Tie Sha, entrusting them to help protect Divine Weapon Island during the coming days. Both men readily agreed.

Next, Lou Yun went to bid farewell to Xia Zhilan. Now in Lou Yun’s heart, he truly saw Xia Zhilan as his fiancée, so he felt it necessary to inform her of his whereabouts. Naturally, he also requested Shui Lingluo to assist in defense, considering her formidable water control ability made her a powerful ally in the ocean.

After arranging everything, Lou Yun finally departed Divine Weapon Island alone, flying atop his magical weapon Dream Emperor Sword toward Carefree Island.

Though Carefree Island and Divine Weapon Island both lay in the Eastern Ling Sea Area, the distance between them exceeded ten thousand li. Still, for one who could fly on a magical weapon and practiced the flight-oriented technique Light Crossing, this distance was trivial.

Throughout the journey, Lou Yun rested not a moment, channeling all his spiritual energy into flight, yet he failed to catch up with Leng Cangqiong, which was as expected. For one, Leng Cangqiong had departed nearly half a day earlier, and secondly, Leng Cangqiong’s cultivation far surpassed his own.

After nearly five shichen, Lou Yun finally spotted a green island ahead. Unlike other islands, this one was lush and verdant, with towering plants covering over ninety percent of it. From a distance, it resembled a forest floating on the water.

When Lou Yun tried to probe the island’s details with his innate senses, he discovered that the entire Carefree Island was enveloped in an energy barrier. Not even he could penetrate it, nor could Chang Xiang’s innate senses enter. This proved the Three Immortals weren’t mere pretenders; they likely possessed genuine skill.

To find Leng Cangqiong, Lou Yun had to physically set foot on the island. Unlike cities that have designated gates, islands appear open, seeming accessible from any point. Yet, according to Mei Yuanmu, each island has specific landing zones, especially inhabited ones—random entries risked antagonizing the inhabitants.

Lou Yun was here solely to find Leng Cangqiong and didn’t wish to offend the Three Immortals, so after a thought, he circled Carefree Island low in flight instead of blindly landing. Looking down, he finally spotted a gap-like opening at the southern edge, guessing it must be the landing point.

He flew down on Dream Emperor Sword, his feet touching the island’s soil. Stretching before him appeared a dense forest—a mere ten steps would take him within; beneath stood a clearly man-made path.

Standing there, Lou Yun noticed something odd: it was eerily quiet!

Besides the gentle lapping of waves, the whole island emitted no sounds. Even as the sea breeze visibly rustled the tall tree branches, not a single noise emerged—truly bizarre.

Lou Yun’s innate senses were sharper than most, so this scene of silent motion discomforted him deeply. Typically, islands hosted beasts or birds that made noise, yet now, the island seemed devoid of all life!

So Lou Yun hesitated: should he follow the path into the forest, or skim low while airborne to search for Leng Cangqiong?

After contemplation, he decided entering the forest was wiser. Though his vision was acute, the immense, leaf-dense trees blocked view from above, making it hard to spot anyone beneath.

Raising his gaze again, Lou Yun traced the path winding into the woods. Watching the shadowed trees sway, he felt a dreamy illusion wash over him, freezing him in place like a statue, lost in a trance.

At this moment, Chang Xiang reacted, hastily urging: "Boy, boy, wake up! Something is wrong here!"

Chang Xiang called over a dozen times before Lou Yun snapped back to awareness, shaking his head and averting his eyes from the distance. Exchanging with Chang Xiang: "Brother Chang, what happened just now? The rustling gave me an immense laziness; I lacked any strength and just wanted to stand still forever."

As he spoke, a wave of terror struck Lou Yun—had someone approached then, it would have been fatally easy.

Chang Xiang had clearly pondered this: after hearing Lou Yun, he offered his answer: "Boy, have you heard of formations?"

Although weak at cultivation as a youth, Lou Yun was brilliant and avidly read esoteric texts on strange matters, so upon prompt, he immediately recalled: "Yes, formations supposedly create illusions by using objects aligned with nature’s laws to confuse innate senses, blending reality and falsehood."

"Exactly! To put it simply, formations channel natural energies to disturb humans’ innate senses, causing confusion. I suspect this entire Carefree Island is one massive formation!"

Lou Yun knew of formations, but on Spirit Weapon Star, practitioners were rare, and he lacked any method to counteract them.

"So what should I do now?"

"Turn back and leave!"

"That won’t do!" Lou Yun frowned: "My elder brother has certainly landed already, and he must not understand formations either. He’s likely trapped; I must save him!"

"Then consider this: since neither of us grasps formations, wouldn’t we be trapped too if we barged in?"

Lou Yun acknowledged Chang Xiang’s logic, but abandoning Leng Cangqiong felt impossible. Silently, he deliberated.

After a moment, Lou Yun abruptly slapped his thigh: "I’ve got it!"

"What?" Chang Xiang asked, puzzled.

"If formations merely disturb people’s innate senses, they might not affect yours! I can shut down my innate senses once inside, and you guide me with yours! Let’s give it a try!"

Chang Xiang hesitated briefly—he had experienced formations but never while in their current state, unsure if his innate senses would remain unaffected.

But with no better option, they had to attempt it despite doubts. Gritting, Chang Xiang agreed: "Alright, let’s give it a try!"