Under the dark evening sky, Qin Yun descended into Hong Manor.
"Brother Qin Yun." Hong Lingtong had been waiting.
"How was it?" Qin Yun asked urgently. He had rushed there all the way from the West Sea at full speed.
Hong Lingtong shook his head and said, "I"ve attempted but failed to find her. It"s possible that she"s dead and it"s also possible that the fiendish demon is too powerful, preventing me from uncovering anything."
"You can"t figure out anything?" Qin Yun frowned as he immediately asked, "That He Qian could use a Void Transference treasure to teleport Xiaoxiao, even though she has reached the True Dragon realm… He must have made the adequate preparations. It"s only natural that you can"t uncover anything."
With that said, Qin Yun turned even more anxious.
"I have one other method that I can try," said Hong Lingtong. "Perhaps we can at least determine if she is still alive or dead."
"Can you use it now?" asked Qin Yun.
"This method is something I learned about in my previous life but I did not dare cast it. After all, I was at the third Firmament Essence Soul realm back then," said Hong Lingtong. "But now, I"m at the Connate Golden Core realm. I"m a mortal! The restrictions the Heavenly Dao puts on mortals are the weakest. I probably can give it a try but I will need you to aid me, Brother Qin Yun."
"What can I do?" asked Qin Yun.
"I need to first set up a Heaven Entreating Dharma Array. However, I lack some of the materials needed for setting up the array so I will need your help." Hong Lingtong handed a piece of paper to Qin Yun. "I have already listed the materials needed."
Qin Yun took a look at it after receiving it. He said with a nod, "Alright, leave the materials to me. Is there anything else?"
"No, just hand me the materials when you are done gathering them," said Hong Lingtong.
"You did not dare to cast this spell in your previous life. Will there be a problem casting it now?" asked Qin Yun.
"Don"t worry. There"s no Heavenly Punishment, so I will be able to do it easily," replied Hong Lingtong.
"Alright." Qin Yun nodded.
He and Hong Lingtong had been friends for many years. There wasn"t a need to say too much.
"I"ll make a move first."
Qin Yun immediately left as a beam of light, ready to put his all into gathering the materials.
Qin Yun spent the whole night gathering the items, with the help of the Inspector Heavenly Alliance and Myriad Temple. He traveled to six places in the world and by dawn the next day, he had gathered all the materials Hong Lingtong needed.
"Whoosh."
After gathering all the materials, Qin Yun rushed from the North Sea back to Grand Dominance, where the morning sun had already risen.
As he looked at the ends of the East Sea, where the morning sun separated from the horizon, Qin Yun watched it in a daze for a moment before rus.h.i.+ng straight down into Hong Manor.
"Brother Hong, take a look. Are these materials right?" Qin Yun handed a Cosmic Bag over.
Hong Lingtong took it and checked it. He smiled with a nod. "Very good. You have even gathered a little more than I require. I"ll now enter seclusion to set up the Heaven Entreating Dharma Array. But Brother Qin Yun… the casting of the spell will last seven consecutive days. I"ll give you the result after seven days."
"Sorry for troubling you." Qin Yun nodded.
"No problem." Hong Lingtong turned and left. He immediately entered seclusion to set up the array.
Qin Yun watched silently. "Even His Majesty has said that Brother Hong is the best at divine inference in this world. Now, it will all depend on him."
Qin Yun returned to Qin Manor.
None of the servants in the manor dared to disturb Qin Yun. Instead, Qin Liehu and Changlan were the ones that had a sleepless night. They immediately came to inquire when they learned that Qin Yun had returned.
"Yun"er, all the rumors they are spreading outside are fake, aren"t they?" asked Changlan immediately. "That resounding voice that called himself He Qian was just speaking nonsense, right?"
"Mom, it"s fine," said Qin Yun. "Also, none of you should leave Grand Dominance City for the time being."
"We know." Qin Liehu nodded.
"I"m tired. I need some rest," said Qin Yun.
Qin Liehu quickly tugged at Changlan.
Changlan wanted to say something but she held back. "Yun"er, have a good rest."
Her son was a famous existence in a world. How much could an ordinary woman like her know? However, she and Qin Liehu could tell that Qin Yun was acting strangely. It was likely that something truly bad had happened.
Inside the manor, Qin Yun sat alone. The corridors, gardens, pavilions, lakeside… He had shared memories with his wife in every one of them.
"Xiaoxiao, I know that you are certainly alive." Qin Yun leaned back against a chair as he sat in silence.
Seven days later.
Qin Yun arrived early in Hong Manor. All the servants of Hong Manor had heard He Qian"s resounding voice. All of them acted very carefully around him.
"Brother Qin Yun!" A figure rapidly rushed over.
"Oh?" Qin Yun immediately stood up from inside a pavilion.
The figure appeared in two or three steps. He was none other than Hong Lingtong. His face was pale and his eyes were dim. However, he looked happy as he said, "Brother Qin Yun, I"m certain that Sister-in-law is definitely alive!"
"She"s alive?" Qin Yun was immediately delighted.
He had waited seven days to finally receive good news.
Although he was convinced that his wife was alive, he knew deep down that it was merely a guess!
Now that Hong Lingtong had confirmed that his wife was alive through divine inference, it gave him rea.s.surance.
"However, my realm is insufficient to divine exactly where she is," said Hong Lingtong. "All I can see is that she"s still alive."
"It"s already very impressive for you to accomplish that much," said Qin Yun immediately.
"Xiaoxiao is still alive but they deliberately made me think that she"s dead." Qin Yun frowned. "They even paid such a ma.s.sive price to abduct Xiaoxiao from the West Sea Dragon Palace"s forbidden grounds… There must be a devious plot behind this matter."
Hong Lingtong nodded. "They must be really trying to target you. However, their efforts are probably lacking now. They were able to capture her alive for the time being and are waiting for an opportunity to use Yi Xiao against you."
"Poor Xiaoxiao is a p.a.w.n in this matter." Qin Yun nodded. "The best action I can take is to rescue Xiaoxiao before they are fully prepared."
"But to save her, I need to know where she is." Qin Yun frowned.
"I have no way of helping you." Hong Lingtong sighed. "My realm is insufficient. If my realm was high enough, I"d probably have become a Skyimmortal."
If he could have become a Skyimmortal, there would have been no need for him to risk himself by reincarnating.
After Qin Yun departed, Hong Lingtong contacted Human Emperor.
"Your Majesty, I made an attempt with the Heaven Entreating Dharma Array but still failed to figure out anything," said Hong Lingtong. "If Yi Xiao isn"t dead, then the enemy"s methods are very brilliant."
"Did Qin Yun believe it?" asked Human Emperor.
"Many of the Heaven Entreating Dharma Array"s materials were gathered by him and he was made to wait seven days. I believe he must have believed it," said Hong Lingtong with a nod.
Qin Manor.
Qin Yun wasn"t dumb. He knew that it was possible Hong Lingtong was only consoling him.
However, He Qian taking the time to abducti Yi Xiao through Void Transference before killing her was illogical. Furthermore, Hong Lingtong was the best at divine inference in the world. He spoke convincingly and gave Qin Yun a lot more confidence.
"Senior Zhang." Qin Yun contacted Ancestral Master Zhang and said immediately, "Brother Hong cast a Heaven Entreating Dharma Array and although he failed to find Yi Xiao, he has confirmed that she"s still alive."
"Oh?" Ancestral Master Zhang revealed a look of delight.
"I wish to know if there"s anyone who might have a way to save Yi Xiao," inquired Qin Yun.
"How are we to save her if we do not even know where she is?" Ancestral Master Zhang shook his head.
Qin Yun asked, "That He Qian definitely knows where she is. However, we can"t even find him. Is divination inference really the only way to discover where Yi Xiao is?"
Ancestral Master Zhang nodded. "Yes, from the looks of it, divination inference is the only way. Ninth Hong"s skill in this has reached the peak third Firmament Essence Soul realm. There"s no one better than him in this world."
"Our world might not have anyone, but what about the other worlds?" pressed Qin Yun. "Senior Zhang, I know you that you are acquainted with experts from other worlds. Is there a way?"
Ancestral Master Zhang hesitated for a moment before saying, "Even existences at the Skyimmortal level who are skilled at divine inference… would find it impossible to infer the location of your wife through vast s.p.a.ce. Those that can cast such Dharma spells across such long distances will only be the mightiest figures."
"Mightiest figures?" Qin Yun was perplexed.
"For instance, a dragon existence at the Ancestral Dragon realm, our Daoist way"s Golden Immortal, the Buddhist way"s Buddha, or the magus lineage"s Ancestral Magus," explained Ancestral Master Zhang. "At that level, even distant s.p.a.ce cannot stop their divine powers."
Qin Yun could not help but ask, "Is it possible to get their help?"
"Haha…"
Ancestral Master Zhang laughed. "Qin Yun, it looks like you do not understand what status they hold. There are twelve Golden Immortals underHeavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning1, one of our Daoist way"sThree Pure Ones2! That is already very impressive. For instance, the Dragon race… in the earliest era, only the Ancestral Dragon was at the Ancestral Dragon realm! Even to this very day, with the Dragon race being so powerful, they have fewer than ten at the Ancestral Dragon realm."
Qin Yun felt a little lost when he heard that.
"Let me put it this way. The Heavenly Courts govern the Three Realms but Golden Immortal mighty figures and the various Buddhas are not under the Heavenly Courts" jurisdiction. Such mighty figures are esteemed guests of theJade Emperor3andQueen Mother4," said Ancestral Master Zhang. "Do you think you have what it takes to request their help?"
One of the highest deities in Daoism. Believed to create the Heaven and Earth after coming into being at the birth of the Universe. Three Pure Ones are the Daoist Trinity, the three highest G.o.ds in the Daoist pantheon
of Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning, ruler of the Heavenly Courts.
Emperor"s wife.