After leaving the Outer Heaven Meteorite Crater, Li Mo did not use the Nearby Array but instead summoned the Kun Whale to head directly towards the distant region of the South Sea.

The Kun Whale maintained a size of a thousand meters, its massive body hidden within the clouds, traveling at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.

The Gang Winds howled, striking against the water vapor-formed Spirit Shield with crackling sounds, causing Jiang Xi and the other two to feel their scalps go numb.

They feared that with the slightest slip, the Kun Whale might fling them off into the void.

The power of the Gang Winds could unquestionably match the Void Refining Stage, partly due to the altitude chosen by the Kun Whale, where the wind-laced Water Attribute Spiritual Energy was exceedingly dense.

The cultivation at the Divine Separation Stage might not lead to death or the Dao's dissipation under the Gang Winds, but the physical body would undoubtedly suffer severe damage.

What amazed Jiang Xi and the other two was that Li Mo sat cross-legged outside the Spirit Shield without moving an inch.

He didn't use Spiritual Power to protect himself, nor did he rely on any Magic Artifacts or Treasures, but only withstood the Gang Winds' baptism with his physical body, his blood, flesh, and bones straining under the load.

A half-day passed.

The Great Wilderness Immortal Body completed its subtle remodeling of his blood, flesh, and bones, increasing the physical body's strength, leading to a noticeable improvement in the Kun Whale's speed.

Jiang Xi and the other two could no longer discern the ground's scenery below; they only knew that the destination was drawing closer, as the scent of seawater began wafting to their senses.

In merely half a month, the Kun Whale had arrived at the Endless Star Sea, where they could see an expanse of boundless ocean that seemed as still as a pool of lifeless water.

Buzz.

The Kun Whale excitedly swayed its tail.

Li Mo also opened his eyes, having achieved a twofold increase in his physical body's strength through the Gang Winds' tempering.

Unfortunately, the body refinement gains from the Kun Whale were gradually diminishing.

"Descend now. Stay away from the Deep Sea."

Li Mo silently communicated with the Kun Whale, which then plunged into the icy seawater to absorb the endless Water Attribute Spiritual Energy of the Endless Star Sea.

"Such turbulent times, I wonder what the Three Pure Heavens are up to?"

Li Mo had been keeping an eye on their journey but had observed unusual changes; despite it being early summer, temperature fluctuations across regions were entirely abnormal.

One mountain peak was unbearably blazing, while the next was blanketed with fine falling snow.

To the Immortals pursuing Longevity, anomalies in the Heavenly Phenomenon were of little consequence, especially since mortals only needed sustenance up until the age of twenty.

However, subtle and silent changes in the world inevitably signaled the resumption of a profound upheaval in Heaven and Earth.

"Heh, I hope the Daoist and Demon factions will have some sense. If they keep indulging in infighting as disaster looms, then they're truly beyond saving."

Li Mo couldn't help but glance at the Kun Whale. Jiang Xi and the other two were already immersed in their cultivation.

Jiang Xi and Daoist Bai Shuo were clearly intelligent people. Although the Immortal Creation Technique seemed intricate, it scarcely required significant effort to practice.

It was exceptionally well-suited for Dual Cultivation.

As for Daoist Ye Zhuo, he was naturally a Tao Seed for Dual Cultivation, having forcibly innovated a new Immortal Creation Body within the Immortal Creation Technique.

He named this Immortal Creation Body [Yin Yang True Monarch].

According to what Li Mo knew, quite a few cultivators wielding the Yin Yang True Monarch Immortal Body had already emerged at the port.

By leveraging this enigmatic Immortal Creation Body, they could render their Lifebound Spirit Beasts utterly subservient, advancing their cultivation far beyond that of their peers.

"Cough, cough, cough."

When the three of them awoke, Li Mo spoke in a low voice: "The Kun Whale is about to enter the South Sea's domain soon. Each of you must remain vigilant."

"To think it's this fast, as expected of Senior Brother Taiyi."

Daoist Ye Zhuo clicked his tongue in wonder. When he stood up, a loud crack came from his spine, forcing his Lifebound Flying Sword to repair the injury.

Li Mo couldn't help but mock: "Ye Zhuo, your physical body has barely regained some energy; don't go damaging your shell by accident in the South Sea."

"I won't."

Daoist Ye Zhuo stretched lazily, his skin mottled with bruises and discoloration.

"The Immortal Creation Body I developed focuses primarily on pent-up strength; if I suffer excessive injuries, the Blood Deterioration Tao Heart will automatically…"

"Alright, alright."

Li Mo quickly interrupted Daoist Ye Zhuo, preventing him from continuing to prattle on.

Daoist Bai Shuo and Jiang Xi remained highly tense, knowing that if the Great Sun Sword Tomb was lost, the Heavenly Sword Sect would face a reshuffling.

At times, the fall of a Sect occurred through cascading effects.

The loss of the Great Sun Sword Tomb would undermine the Mountain Protection Array and potentially cause uncontrollable issues with the other Sword Tombs. More Sword Cultivators would be required to guard them.

This could indirectly result in losing control over affiliated Sword Sects, shaking the very foundations of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Jiang Xi didn't dare to imagine the consequences.

"Senior Brother, where exactly is the Great Sun Sword Tomb located?"

"Not sure. We'll assess the situation when we arrive nearby."

Li Mo couldn't entirely dispel his unease. The South Sea Dragon King's ancient reputation was too widespread. Coupled with the Dragon Clan's tendency to glorify themselves, peculiar, fantastical tales abounded in the mortal world.

The Bishui True Monarch was merely a minor divine figure of a Dragon Clan tributary, yet during a Dragon King Festival, even they—along with hundreds of thousands of mortals—were cast into the Dragon Pond.

The South Sea Dragon King's fate was something Li Mo dared not speculate on.

The group fell into silence.

"The three of you should take turns guarding against potential dangers. The Endless Star Sea, aside from the water, is nothing but a monotonous, unchanging bathhouse."

Li Mo wasted no idle time, summoning several Lifebound Flying Swords to continue his cultivation.

The other three exchanged glances but managed to stabilize their mental states, knowing they couldn't influence the circumstances ahead and could only take things one step at a time.

As day turned into night and night into day, the Kun Whale stirred up surging waves wherever it passed.

Six months later.

The Kun Whale had already approached the Southern Sea Dragon Pond, still confronted by a calm, uneventful sea.

Rumors claimed the Endless Star Sea was prone to storms, yet not a single ripple had adorned the sea's surface except for those caused by the Kun Whale. The South Sea resembled an eternally unchanging mirror.

"Strange."

Li Mo ceased his cultivation, a faint sense of oppression growing in his heart.

"It seems there's no need to search anymore; the Great Sun Sword Tomb must have fallen right into the center of the South Sea. But… who could have done this?"

The trio didn't respond.

They stared dumbfounded into the distance where the thunderous sound of water became progressively louder.

The South Sea's oddity reached an extraordinary scale.

Although 90% of the area remained tranquil, at its center, a massive and terrifying vortex emerged, emitting plumes of hot mist into the sky.

The vortex seemed as though its bottom had a fissure continuously draining the water away.

Its diameter was exactly equivalent to that of the Great Sun Sword Tomb.

"Hiss…"

Daoist Ye Zhuo inhaled sharply. The Heavenly Sword Sect was over one hundred thousand miles away from the South Sea—how could someone have carried the Great Sun Sword Tomb and simply thrown it into the South Sea? It was utterly absurd.

Li Mo narrowed his eyes, recalling the memories surging from the Creation Book.

The vortex lay directly above the Southern Sea Dragon Pond.

Li Mo couldn't fathom the connection between the Great Sun Sword Tomb and the South Sea Dragon King.

Daoist Ye Zhuo quietly grew hesitant and muttered with a hand on his chin, "Weren't there other cultivators from larger Sects? And Elder Luo Yang isn't here. Perhaps we've come to the wrong location."

"Why don't we…"

Before Daoist Ye Zhuo could finish his sentence, he suddenly felt eyes on him from behind.

He turned around to find a bull's head suspended in mid-air, staring at him with a detached expression.

"Ye Zhuo, your courage seems to have grown too bold."

Luo Yang had somehow attached his Divine Sense to Lu Yuan's Lifebound Flying Sword, Yang Niu.

Daoist Ye Zhuo awkwardly smiled, saying, "Elder Luo Yang, I think this is just a misunderstanding. Your humble disciple hasn't even fully grasped the nature of this incident."

Luo Yang ignored Daoist Ye Zhuo and surveyed the trio's appearances.

"Such impure Sword Hearts—how could you delve into Dual Cultivation? Have you already abandoned your hopes of advancing to the Void Refining Stage?"

Just as Jiang Xi and the other two were about to explain, Li Mo said, "Elder Luo Yang, their chosen Magic Technique is not some heretical method. It is a means to strengthen their physical cores and organs, not something that impacts their foundation."

Luo Yang refrained from saying more, extending his Divine Sense to scrutinize Li Mo.

"How could the Great Sun Sword Tomb have chosen someone adept in heretical paths to be its chief?"

Li Mo froze momentarily but quickly realized that Luo Yang hadn't regained his full memory.

His position as chief was something Yu Xiao had relayed to the Great Sun Sword Tomb, as the Heavenly Sword Sect itself had no knowledge of Li Mo.

Luo Yang shook his head and said, "Have you already stepped into the Void Refining Stage? No wonder… Taiyi, as an Innate Immortal Seed, even without innate Sword Dao talent, your unparalleled gifts for cultivation were destined to make you stand out."

Jiang Xi and the other two hesitated to speak.

Nobody understood Li Mo's terror-inducing strength better than they did.

Li Mo's talents extended far beyond cultivation; his overwhelming superiority left opponents of the same realm completely defenseless.

"Enough. There's no time for pointless delay. Enter the vortex. I'll wait for you five thousand miles below the surface. Make haste."

Luo Yang shook his head slightly.

Were it not for Zhang Qiyang's direct instructions regarding Li Mo, he wouldn't have chosen to guide these four at all.

One by one, none of them resembled true Sword Cultivators. No matter how profound their cultivation, obsession with heretical methods was ultimately a misguided path they would regret sooner or later.

No, he would need to persuade them to return to the right path after this.

"Elder Luo Yang, you…"

Elder Luo Yang didn't give Daoist Ye Zhuo a chance to explain, his gaze full of scorn, before the bull's head exploded into fragments of flesh and blood.

Daoist Ye Zhuo sighed helplessly. "How am I misguided? Isn't it true that I've deepened my connection to my Lifebound Flying Sword? The elder misunderstands."

Jiang Xi and Daoist Bai Shuo didn't regret refining the Immortal Creation Technique either.

Their transplanted, modified organs had already elevated their Sword Bodies to unprecedented levels, increasing the power of their Sword Intent by thirty to forty percent.

"Let's go."

Li Mo urged the Kun Whale towards the vortex and then turned to say, "Most other cultivators have already descended into the Deep Sea. Falling behind would only put us at risk."

"How deep is the South Sea, anyway?"

Daoist Ye Zhuo asked nervously, no one knowing what existed in the Endless Star Sea.

"How deep…"

Li Mo fell silent.

The Kun Whale stabilized itself, its Spiritual Power fending off the blistering heat of the vapor, as the vortex swallowed everything in its path—even islands were torn to shreds.

Buzz.

The Kun Whale remained unaffected, diving into the vortex the moment it reached its edge.

The outer brightness faded into the distance.

There were no reefs, no fish, and no vegetation.

The Southern Sea Dragon Pond felt like an abyss filled with water, leading down to the Netherworld, with the Great Sun Luo Yang resembling a marble discarded by playful children.

As the Kun Whale isolated the seawater, the four stood on its back, watching themselves descend into the darkness.

Li Mo suddenly murmured to himself, "How deep is the South Sea?"

Before anyone could answer, he muttered, "The Bohai stretches countless millions of miles; there lies a great abyss, named as the Bottomless Valley, where no bottom can be reached, known as the Returning Ruins."

"The waters of the Eight Continents and Nine Wilderness, and even the flow of the Heavenly River, all pour into it, yet it neither overflows nor diminishes."

Li Mo's expression grew increasingly grim as he said solemnly, "According to ancient texts, the ocean is a bottomless pit, its depth endless—a place where all things come to an end: the Returning Ruins."

The other three couldn't comprehend Li Mo's words.

Li Mo quietly worried to himself, "In ancient times, mortals commonly believed the ocean to be the Returning Ruins. Could the Endless Star Sea truly transform into the Returning Ruins?"

"And if so, into which depths has the Great Sun Sword Tomb fallen?"

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