Chu Lingwei stared in the direction the Tongtian realm cultivator had left. His sudden appearance was very similar to that of the man in black.
Were they working together?
"Not everyone fears the Cultivation Academy," Chu Lingwei turned around. The bowls they had put down were empty, and even the spiritual food in the pot had not a drop of soup left. "Who stole our spiritual food?"
They had all been dealing with the man in black just now, so no one could have possibly come back to eat this.
"Could it be that while we were fighting, someone else came here?" Mei Ji's expression changed. Even the Tongtian realm cultivator hadn't noticed, which meant the person who stole their spiritual food had a very high cultivation.
"Let's leave here first."
This place was not suitable for lingering. Chu Lingwei summoned her flying magical artifact, and the group quickly left.
Not long after they left, a figure in black appeared, staring in their direction for a long time.
"Why are they still following us?" Mei Ji couldn't understand why the Tongtian realm cultivator was still pursuing them. If he had truly wanted to kill them, assassination would have had a greater chance of success.
"It's all your fault. You've been too conspicuous on this journey," Chu Lingwei looked at Mei Ji, whose every casual glance was filled with seductive charm.
Even though she was a woman, she was sometimes mesmerized by Mei Ji's enchanting arts.
Mei Ji, "..."
"Weiwei, you're not cute when you say that. This isn't my fault at all." That cultivator was clearly here to assassinate Chu Lingwei, and she was dragged into it.
"That's not necessarily true. Perhaps that person wanted to kill me and then have you all to himself," Chu Lingwei giggled.
"That's plausible," Mei Ji's confidence was greatly boosted. She sighed, "I suppose this is also part of my charm."
"You're quite shameless," Chu Lingwei's smile faded, and she looked at Mei Ji with a serious expression. "Fellow Daoist Mei, as you've seen, this kind of thing will happen often on this journey. You should leave quickly."
The cultivator could come once, twice, or thrice. Chu Lingwei couldn't guarantee she could evade him every time.
If they were targeting her, Mei Ji would be in grave danger by staying with her.
"Weiwei, I'm not afraid of such minor dangers, and besides..." Mei Ji's eyes were filled with allure. "Besides, staying by your side has countless benefits."
"Oh, do tell," it seemed Mei Ji wouldn't leave her anytime soon.
"If you encounter danger, and I help you escape, don't you think the Cultivation Academy will thank me?" Chu Lingwei was a direct disciple of the Cultivation Academy, backed by many powerful figures. If they were grateful, it would mean ample cultivation resources.
Chu Lingwei found it amusing; Mei Ji was truly shameless.
"Very well, I hope you get what you want."
"Weiwei, don't disappoint me," Mei Ji stepped forward and hugged Chu Lingwei. "I don't have many cultivation resources left."
"Rest early. You'll have everything in your dreams," Chu Lingwei pushed Mei Ji away, found a spot far from her, and sat down to cultivate with her eyes closed.
Mei Ji chuckled, closed her eyes, and also entered a state of cultivation.
As Chu Lingwei closed her eyes, the figure of the man in black appeared in her mind. Why did he insist on her entering the Cangshan Secret Realm? Now that she had emerged from the secret realm, he hadn't appeared.
Perhaps he had appeared before, and she simply hadn't noticed.
"Fellow Daoist Mei, how did you find out my father entered the Ice Extreme Cliff?" Chu Lingwei looked at Mei Ji, who was resting with her eyes closed. Her father's whereabouts were generally impossible to track.
"Fellow Daoist Chu, you don't trust me?" Mei Ji opened her eyes and lowered her eyelids. "The Ice Extreme Cliff has a sect station of our Joyous Union Sect. To be honest, in that station, there's a senior brother I'm quite close to, and his spirit beast can identify all disguised cultivators by their scent, regardless of their cultivation level."
Chu Lingwei looked at Mei Ji. There were indeed such spirit beasts on the Profound Sky Continent.
"Coincidentally, that senior brother saw your father, so he inadvertently detected him when your father appeared." Mei Ji saw Chu Lingwei's solemn expression. "Fellow Daoist Chu, don't worry, my senior brother hasn't told anyone about this. Only a few of us know."
"Who else knows about this matter?" Chu Lingwei quickly analyzed the truthfulness of such claims in her mind.
"My master, and an elder of the Joyous Union Sect." In fact, many people were searching for Chu Ze's whereabouts to curry favor with the Cultivation Academy.
Mei Ji's words were flawless, and Chu Lingwei no longer doubted her.
"However, we need to hurry. I can't guarantee that others don't know your father's whereabouts." The Ice Extreme Cliff often had some bold cultivators venturing there for trials, making it a place with many eyes and ears.
"Yes, we must speed up our journey." Chu Lingwei nodded. They couldn't afford to delay any longer.
For an entire month, the two of them spent almost all their time on their flying artifacts.
Even when some cultivators pursued them, they tried their best to avoid them.
"The market of the Ice Extreme Cliff is just ahead." After a bit of disguise, two handsome male cultivators appeared before everyone.
"We don't look like male cultivators at all in this getup," Mei Ji wanted to disguise herself as a female cultivator, but Chu Lingwei forced her to disguise herself as a male cultivator, nipping her little schemes in the bud.
"You're the one who doesn't look like it."
Their disguises were concealed by magical artifacts. As long as their actions weren't too feminine, they wouldn't be discovered. "Remember, you are a male cultivator now. Don't do certain things."
Being with Mei Ji made Chu Lingwei almost forget that she herself was a female cultivator.
"I know," Mei Ji opened the folding fan in her hand, looking like a dashing young master, and took the lead. "The Ice Extreme Town, like other markets, serves as a supply point for those entering the Ice Extreme Cliff for trials. It has developed into such a prosperous place now."
Many cultivators had settled here long-term, living by selling cultivation resources or by entering the Ice Extreme Cliff to search for spiritual herbs and beasts.
"Let's find an inn to stay in first and shake off those tails behind us." Chu Lingwei sensed the pursuers behind them, following them at a moderate distance.
"Alright, we also need to buy some warming magical artifacts here."
The Ice Extreme Cliff was different from other trial grounds. It was perpetually icy. Besides relying on spiritual power to resist, magical artifacts were also needed for assistance.
The two casually found an inn and checked in.
Chu Lingwei looked at the nearby restaurant and couldn't help but smile. No matter where they went, they could see Leng family restaurants.
This made Chu Lingwei feel as if she were just wandering around her own doorstep.
After a night's rest, Chu Lingwei and Mei Ji went out together to buy some cold-weather gear.