Ling Tian frowned upon hearing Ali's words, "What kind of people are they?"
"They are all Chinese, but judging by their attire, they don't seem like good people. Moreover, each of them emanates a powerful killing intent, suggesting they have committed many atrocities."
A sharp glint flashed in Ling Tian's eyes.
"Perhaps these people are old friends we know. It seems we'll have to put in some effort to guide them to salvation!"
Just before they set off, Ling Tian received intelligence from Xuanyuan Jie. The Xuanyuan family's intelligence network had learned that those from the crooked path were also organizing people to head towards Jiao Ren Island.
Combining this intelligence with Ali's description of the group's demeanor, Ling Tian easily deduced their identity. Ling Tian's feud with these individuals from the crooked path was no ordinary one. Furthermore, Ling Tian was a member of the Righteous Path Alliance, and conflict was inevitable as they vied for the overseas immortal's遗迹 (yíjì - relic/remains) on Jiao Ren Island.
Since things had come to this, Ling Tian decided he must inflict a significant blow upon the forces of the crooked path. Annihilating them entirely would be ideal, serving as a public service!
"Mr. Ling Tian, what exactly is the situation with this formation?" Yu Gong Yui asked with concern.
"I've studied this formation, and the situation is likely not as simple as it appears. I can tell it's a very complex composite formation. This formation has many defensive methods. When we attempted to ascend the mountain and encountered that pressure formed by the air, it was merely one of the formation's defensive mechanisms. I suspect that if we continue further up the mountain, we might even trigger more terrifying restrictions like a lightning fire array. Even if someone could reach that point, their true essence would be depleted in the struggle against the air wall!"
"Is it that terrifying?" Yu Gong Yui's expression shifted.
"The tricky part about this formation is that you can't find its life gate! All formations, no matter how powerful or perfect, theoretically have a life gate, which serves as the entry point for breaking them. Everything has a life gate; it's a natural law. However, after studying this formation and contemplating it from various angles, I found nothing in the direction of the life gate! I even had my spirit beasts thoroughly investigate the area, and there were no hidden mechanisms. Therefore, I'm quite troubled!"
As Ling Tian spoke, a thought flashed through his mind. A drawing board appeared in his hand, and he began sketching with a pen. Ali showed no interest, while Yu Gong Yui watched Ling Tian draw with great fascination. The map Ling Tian was drawing was the same one seen by his two spirit beasts from the sky, rendered with perfect accuracy as if scanned. He then used pens of different colors to mark the formation and the flow of spiritual energy.
Although Yu Gong Yui couldn't understand the details, she was impressed by the seemingly profound work. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She pointed directly at the direction Ling Tian had marked as the life gate on his map and said, "Ling Tian, you say this is the life gate, and there's nothing in this direction. What if the life gate is in the sea? Of course, this is just a thought, so disregard it if it's incorrect..."
Upon hearing this, Ling Tian slapped his thigh and jumped up excitedly. He hugged Yu Gong Yui and kissed her joyfully.
"Yes! How could I not have thought of that? It's like the light under the lamp! No matter how large this island is, it would have been thoroughly searched. But if it's hidden in the sea, not just anyone can find it!"
Yu Gong Yui was surprised by Ling Tian's enthusiastic kiss, her face instantly flushing red. She felt both shy and happy, utterly delighted. Ling Tian, not noticing her reaction, continued to sketch on the map. After a while, Ling Tian drew a straight line on the map, indicating the direction of the life gate!
"It's right here. The life gate to breaking this formation is on this line. As long as we follow this line, we'll surely find the flaw in the formation at the bottom of the sea!"
Ling Tian suddenly looked up at Yu Gong Yui.
"Yui, I need to discuss something with you. I know you want to come with us, but there's a special situation now. This life gate is located at the bottom of the sea, and I estimate it will be at a very great depth. I have some means to dive into the deep sea and find the entrance, but I cannot guarantee your safety underwater. How about this: I'll send you back to the ship, and you can wait for us there. The 'Cuit Knight' is our fallback. If you protect those people on the ship, Ali and I will be more at ease."
Yu Gong Yui's mind was still reeling, her face flushed, as she was still immersed in the sweetness of Ling Tian's kiss. She readily agreed to Ling Tian's request. She understood clearly that the gap in their strength was too vast, and forcing herself to stay by Ling Tian's side would only distract him. Moreover, Ling Tian asking her to look after the people on the 'Cuit Knight' yacht made her feel valued, and she was naturally very happy.
"Let's go to the beach, I'll send you back!" Ling Tian said, leading Ali and Yu Gong Yui to the seaside.
Just as Yu Gong Yui expected Ling Tian to bring out a small boat, a towering water column suddenly appeared on the sea surface, and soon, a massive creature emerged from the water. It was a giant sea beast with white spots on its head, the sea beast Ling Tian had subdued, a killer whale named Hu Tou. Ling Tian directly put his arm around Yu Gong Yui's waist and, stepping on his flying sword, flew towards the giant beast.
Arriving above the killer whale, Ling Tian retracted his flying sword, and the two landed steadily on the beast's back. Ling Tian's thoughts flashed, and he first took out a cushion, placing it on the killer whale's smooth spine. Then, he produced two suction cups and fitted them onto Yu Gong Yui's hands.
"Come, Yui, sit down. Your hands should be like this..." Yu Gong Yui sat on the cushion, her hands spread out, the suction cups on her palms adhering firmly to the killer whale's smooth back. The suction cups had a strong grip, making Yu Gong Yui feel as if she were stuck to the killer whale's back.
"Alright, this is my companion, named Hu Tou. It will take you back to the 'Cuit Knight.' You just wait for me on the ship!"
Yui nodded, while Ling Tian stepped onto his flying sword and flew directly towards the shore. Ling Tian was not worried that Hu Tou would fail to find the 'Cuit Knight,' as the albatross was already in the sky, having locked onto the ship's position. Through telepathic communication with Ling Tian, Hu Tou naturally knew how to find the ship!