"Are you sure? They’re going through so much trouble just to capture Elder Li?" Sword Master Feng looked at Fang Yunjian, his gaze sharp as a knife, and couldn’t help but ask for confirmation again.

Fang Yunjian nodded affirmatively and said, "Yes, Sword Master. According to my in-depth investigation, after Elder Li appeared at Li’s Treasure Tower a few days ago via the Teleportation Array, the Nine Demons Sect immediately launched an attack on Ten Thousand Stars Island. Their actions seemed quite hurried, as if they were seizing an opportunity. Moreover, after the Nine Demons Sect took down Ten Thousand Stars Island, they gathered several Demon Ancestor-level experts specifically to attack Li’s Treasure Tower’s Protection Array, expending great effort. All these signs show that their degree of importance to Elder Li is extraordinary, and the purpose of this island attack should be to capture Elder Li."

Sword Master Feng frowned, his mind filled with thoughts. He couldn’t help but recall the previous incident where Li Mu was given special attention by Blood Demon Lord Dana and cursed with the Soul-Seeking Blood Curse. It now seemed that Dana’s regard for Li Mu was truly exceptional.

Elder Li must have extremely significant value to the Nine Demons Sect and the Blood Demon Race; otherwise, they wouldn’t mobilize their forces so extravagantly and at such great cost.

But what exactly makes Elder Li so special that the Nine Demons Sect would go through so much trouble?

Over the years, Sword Master Feng has kept a close watch on news about Li Mu, knowing that Li Mu refined a considerable number of high-tier Spirit Swords for the sect, considerably enhancing the overall battle strength of the upper echelon. Introducing him into the Profound Celestial Sword Sect was definitely a wise decision.

"Where is Elder Li now? Where is he located?" Sword Master Feng asked Fang Yunjian with concern, deeply worried that Li Mu might be captured by Blood Demon Lord Dana.

Upon hearing this, Fang Yunjian lowered his head silently, his expression somewhat grim as he responded, "Currently, we have not discovered Elder Li’s precise whereabouts. However, according to the Ancestral Hall, Elder Li’s Soul Lamp is normal, which suggests he should still be safe."

Upon hearing this, Sword Master Feng frowned, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes. Safety of life doesn’t necessarily imply everything is fine. If Elder Li were to fall into the hands of the Nine Demons Sect or the Blood Demon Race, the consequences would be unimaginable. They’ve launched such a massive war to capture Elder Li, clearly showing extraordinarily high regard for him. There must be some unknown reason behind this.

"Does safety of life mean no issue? Immediately dispatch people to find Elder Li; we must not let him fall into Dana’s hands!" Sword Master Feng gazed at Fang Yunjian and decisively ordered in a firm and commanding voice, full of undeniable authority.

"Yes!" Fang Yunjian accepted the order cheerfully, immediately turned to leave, and dispatched numerous subordinates to search for Li Mu’s whereabouts.

————

At this moment, Li Mu, Liu Yalan, and Xue’Er had already emerged from the Painting Realm Treasure Mansion, transferred to the Earth Element Spirit Ship, and sped through the air toward the Central State Spirit Realm.

Li Mu was completely unaware of the events happening on Celestial Spirit Island, nor did he know that Sword Master Feng had instructed his subordinates to fully search for his whereabouts. Right now, he only wanted to quickly reach the Central State Spirit Realm and return to the Seven Profound Sect.

The seven Tier Five Spirit Plants and several Tier Six Spirit Plants at Seven Gods Mountain were being taken care of by seven Divinity Transformation Avatars, and nothing unexpected would happen in a short time. However, Li Mu still wanted to return quickly to oversee them personally. After all, those Spirit Plants held extraordinary significance for him, relating to progress in his cultivation, lifespan, and Divine Soul, and could not afford errors.

The Earth Element Spirit Ship, topped with an Elemental Magnetic Shield, sliced through the sky like a sharp sword, swift as the wind. The Elemental Magnetic Shield formed an invisible protection circle around the ship, blocking all wind resistance and airflow outside, enabling the ship to speed at a pace of ten thousand miles, rushing toward the Central State Spirit Realm. The entire voyage was silent and smooth as floating on a cloud, imparting a serene and reassuring feeling.

On the deck, Li Mu, Liu Yalan, and Xue’Er sat around a table, with exquisite teaware laid out in front of them, and the cup emitting a faint fragrance of tea. They were savoring the rare Spirit Tea while admiring the landscape rapidly passing below. Mountains, rivers, forests—all swiftly receded before their eyes like a moving painting, beautiful and exhilarating.

Liu Yalan, full of curiosity, was glancing around the Earth Element Spirit Ship with astonishment and wonder, unable to resist asking Li Mu, "Storekeeper, the speed of this Spirit Ship is truly astonishing. At this rate, how long will it take us to reach the Central State Spirit Realm?"

Li Mu set down the tea cup in his hand, smiled slightly, and replied, "If all goes well, we should arrive at the Central State Spirit Realm in about a month. However, that depends on the specific route and the weather conditions, as voyages are always full of unknowns and changes; if unexpected situations arise, it might delay us."

Upon hearing this, Xue’Er couldn’t help but ask worriedly, "Unexpected? Lord Li, will our Spirit Ship, which is so well-defended, encounter any unforeseen issues that could cause it to stop sailing?"

Li Mu’s eyes flashed with a hint of seriousness at the words. He replied solemnly, "The defense of the Earth Element Spirit Ship is indeed impeccable, but on the way to the Central State Spirit Realm, there are always unknown dangers, like powerful Demon Beasts, adverse weather, or even attacks from other cultivators. All these could become obstacles to our journey."

As his words fell, Li Mu suddenly frowned, and sensing something with his Divine Sense, he instantly became serious, not daring to be complacent. He quickly unleashed his Mana, controlling the Earth Element Spirit Ship, urgently accelerating and changing direction.

At this moment, Xue’Er and Liu Yalan also sensed the anomaly ahead. Their gazes followed Li Mu’s line of sight, and upon realizing the situation ahead, their faces immediately turned pale with fright.

They saw a vast and magnificent blue thundercloud rushing toward them at great speed, rolling with fury like wild ocean waves, awe-inspiring and grand.

However, upon closer inspection, they discovered that the blue thundercloud wasn’t simply clouds, but rather composed of tens of thousands of massive Thunder Rocs gathered together.

Those Thunder Rocs were enormous, each exuding a powerful aura, and as their wings flapped, they summoned frenzied bolts of lightning, converging together as if to envelop the entire sky.

The Thunder Rocs emitted ear-splitting shrieks, filled with frenzy and the intent to kill.

Seeing this, Xue’Er and Liu Yalan felt a wave of alarm; the scale of the Thunder Roc swarm was so vast that it was terrifying enough to make anyone tremble.

"It’s a Thunder Roc swarm! So large-scale, what should we do?" Xue’Er’s voice had a hint of trembling, clearly shaken by the scene before them.

Li Mu took a deep breath, stabilized his mind, and said in a deep voice to Liu Yalan and Xue’Er, "Don’t panic, stay calm. We first need to attempt to avoid these Thunder Rocs; if evasion isn’t possible, then we can only meet them with full force."

While speaking, Li Mu controlled the Earth Element Spirit Ship, rapidly changing course, attempting to steer clear of the vast Thunder Roc swarm, navigating the ship with precision as it danced like a nimble fish, tracing graceful arcs in the vast skies.

However, the Thunder Roc swarm’s speed was exceptionally swift, naturally endowed with Thunder Manipulation Divine Techniques; a flap of their wings propelled them hundreds of miles.

More surprisingly, the Thunder Roc swarm seemed to possess extraordinary intelligence, having discovered the presence of the Earth Element Spirit Ship. They released ear-splitting screeches and continued their relentless pursuit toward the ship, determined to keep up the chase.

Facing this unexpected crisis, Li Mu could only steer the Earth Element Spirit Ship with all his might, evading the Thunder Roc swarm’s pursuit, maneuvering the ship through the sky, sometimes diving, sometimes ascending, sometimes weaving left and right, endeavoring to outwit the Thunder Roc swarm’s tracking.

In Li Mu’s precise control, the Earth Element Spirit Ship acted like a nimble dragon, darting within the encirclement of the Thunder Roc swarm, though perils abounded, it never succumbed.

Li Mu silently sighed, hoping the chase wouldn’t last too long, and that the Thunder Roc swarm would eventually abandon pursuit after a fruitless chase.

As time elapsed, the aerial chase became increasingly intense, with the Earth Element Spirit Ship persistently changing course to escape, and the Thunder Roc swarm pursuing with Thunderbolt enhancement, relentlessly closing the gap, creating a grand chase forming a unique spectacle in the sky.