Chapter 143: The Crane Dances Over the Vast Sea

Mei Qing stood silently, his eyes filled with confusion.

All around him surged the sound of waves. As he gazed into the distance, rolling surf shimmered beneath scattered starlight, stretching boundlessly in every direction.

Beneath his feet was a sandy islet. It was late autumn; the grass had withered and the wind howled fiercely, its distant wailing sending a chill through his heart.

This was the scene that had appeared before Mei Qing after he escaped using his concealment technique.

The situation had been extremely urgent only moments ago. Mei Qing had barely managed to secretly inform Bi Zhen before hastily fleeing. Now, seeing this island, he felt a sudden jolt of shock—could it be that he had traveled too far and ended up on a solitary island in the middle of the sea?

This sandbank didn’t seem very large. Although Mei Qing extended his spiritual awareness in every direction, he could not detect any sign of mainland.

By now, it was well past midnight. The autumn sea wind was bone-chillingly cold, but fortunately, Mei Qing had already reached a cultivation stage where he was unaffected by extreme temperatures, so he didn’t feel discomfort. However, the fierce battle he had just endured had left him mentally and spiritually exhausted.

Yet the nature of this place remained unknown, clearly not a suitable location to rest and recover. Mei Qing pondered for a moment, then pinched a magical seal, determined his direction, and with a wave of his hand, conjured a small paper crane that appeared deftly before him.

“Eight winds arise, dancing cranes soar through the heavens—swiftly obey my command!” As Mei Qing chanted his spell, the tiny crane instantly grew to nearly a meter in length, flapping its wings and stirring up a chill wind.

This Spirit Crane Talisman was a technique Mei Qing had long ago studied in the remnants of the Divine Thunder Scroll, and he had even practiced it with Hou Shen before. Back then, his technique had been unrefined and the results far from impressive. Now, however, Mei Qing was no longer the inexperienced youth of before; his mastery had vastly improved, and the results were clearly different.

Satisfied with the result, he nodded and lightly stepped onto the crane. With a slight shift of his spiritual intent, the crane lifted gracefully into the air, flying swiftly northward.

The Spirit Crane Talisman wasn’t exactly an ordinary talisman—it was somewhere between a charm and a summoned creature, its technique quite unique and wondrous. Zhang Shisan had once heard Mei Qing describe it and had marveled at it. However, in combat, because it wasn’t fully linked to the user’s spiritual intent, its responsiveness was somewhat lacking, making it unsuitable for battle. Still, since it consumed little spiritual energy and was very stable, it was an excellent means of travel.

Sitting cross-legged atop the crane, Mei Qing slightly closed his eyes to rest. Though the crane soared through the night sky, a kind of invisible barrier seemed to surround its back, shielding him from the cold wind. Above, the stars glittered magnificently; below, the sea shimmered like a vast field of stars. If it weren’t for the current circumstances, flying through the night on the back of a crane might actually be quite pleasant.

But Mei Qing had no heart to appreciate the scenery. His thoughts were consumed with worry about the aftermath at the Shi residence. Tonight’s attackers had clearly come prepared—it seemed they had been careless. He could only hope that with Zhang Shisan and Master Ku present, they could eventually turn the tide and prevent any losses.

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Mei Qing allowed the crane to continue its flight northward. Yet after more than half an hour had passed and he still saw only the glimmering sea below, he began to feel something was off.

He knew his own concealment technique well—flying dozens of li was probably his limit. Though tonight he had drawn upon the earth-element energy from the formation to enhance his escape, that initial burst had been temporary; afterward, he had relied solely on his own spiritual energy.

Besides, after a series of intense battles and sustaining some injuries, he hadn’t pushed himself to the limit with repeated concealment techniques. He shouldn’t have traveled this far. At this point, over an hour had passed, and he had likely flown more than a hundred li already—yet there was still no sign of land. Could he have flown in the wrong direction?

Realizing this, Mei Qing inwardly cursed his carelessness, quickly taking out a Vajra Talisman to protect his surroundings. He calmed his mind and attempted to reach out spiritually to contact Bi Zhen and the others—but there was no response.

Mei Qing was alarmed. He and Bi Zhen had always shared a deep connection; even during their early cultivation days, they could sense each other’s presence from dozens of li away. Now that both had reached the spirit cultivation stage, their spiritual awareness should have expanded even further. Why was there no trace of her now? Could he have really flown hundreds of li in one go?

After a moment of deep thought, Mei Qing urged the crane to fly faster. This time, driven by urgency, he pushed the speed to several times its previous rate. Yet after another half hour—perhaps two or three hundred li—he still saw no change in the scenery, and frustration began to rise within him. He considered descending to investigate the water’s surface.

But the sea showed no signs of anything unusual—only the cold waves rolling endlessly under the autumn wind, their sound echoing into the distance.

Still unwilling to give up, Mei Qing had the crane soar upward until it reached the edge of the clouds, then looked down. Yet even from this height, all he could see was a vast expanse of dark sea stretching infinitely in every direction.

Taking a deep breath, Mei Qing ceased his frantic movements. Gently guiding the crane to descend, he hovered a few meters above the sea surface, silently observing his surroundings.

Unless something unexpected had happened, he must have been tricked into another formation.

Since flying around hadn’t allowed him to escape, it was likely a containment formation. But Mei Qing needed to determine whether the scenery around him was an illusion or if the formation was so vast that it had created a world so immense he couldn’t cross it.

He carefully scanned everything, from the farthest horizon to the nearest ripple, not missing a single detail. Yet after a long time of searching, he had to admit—he could detect no anomalies. The scenery, the flow of the five elements’ energies, and the fluctuations of ambient spiritual energy all seemed perfectly normal.

Could it be that he had misjudged the situation? Mei Qing’s mind raced. Should he continue flying a bit further to test things, try another concealment technique, or just recklessly unleash a spell?

Taking a deep breath, Mei Qing already had a talisman in his hand. According to what Zhang Shisan had said, whether breaking a formation through clever calculation or subtle manipulation, neither was possible now. Mei Qing couldn’t even perceive the formation’s true and false aspects—how could he calculate or manipulate?

It seemed the only viable path was brute force. Although judging from the formation’s current state, it might already be beyond his ability to break through. But if even a single clue emerged during the attack, he might still find an opening.

Mei Qing’s mind flashed to the Thunder Talisman in his hand. He could feel the immense energy flowing through it. As long as he uttered a few syllables, violent thunder and lightning would illuminate the lifeless sea.

He was almost beginning to chant the spell when a sudden, inexplicable sense of unease stopped him.

Something was wrong… something was off.

Straining to grasp the fleeting thought, Mei Qing tried to figure out what had triggered his suspicion.

Frustrated, he glanced around. The same endless stars above, the boundless sea around him, and the lifeless surface of the water.

Suddenly, a spark of realization lit up his mind—yes! It was too quiet. Although there was wind and surging waves, the entire scene lacked any sign of life.

The wind carried no scent—not even the briny smell of the sea. The water showed no trace of fish or drifting debris. The entire world was unnaturally clean, like a still frame from a moving picture.

Mei Qing suddenly raised his head, gazing at the endless stars above, and a faint smile of realization appeared at the corner of his lips.

He had been flying straight under this starry sky for over an hour, yet the stars above were exactly as they had been when he first saw them—not a single one had shifted position!

So, this was merely an illusion formation.

At this realization, Mei Qing’s heart steadied. If it was an illusion, it meant it was only manipulating appearances. Not long ago, under Zhang Shisan’s guidance, he had successfully broken through the Three Lights Illusion Formation in the Changchun Palace, gaining some experience. Therefore, this illusion formation should also have exploitable weaknesses.

Still, the enemy’s ability to trap him in such a formation the moment he fled was truly astonishing. Thinking back to the small island he had first seen upon arriving here, a sudden thought struck him—could that island be the formation’s core?

For a moment, he considered turning back immediately to investigate the island.

However, reason quickly told him this was a mistake.

If this was truly an illusion formation, then nothing he saw could be trusted. Even if he tried to return, there was no guarantee he would find the island.

Moreover, how large could an illusion formation really be? He had been flying for so long, yet he might have simply been going in circles within the formation, never actually moving forward. In such a case, trying to retrace his steps would be nothing more than wishful thinking.

Recalling all he knew about illusion formations and carefully reviewing the details of the Three Lights Formation he had encountered in the Changchun Palace, Mei Qing narrowed his eyes and slowly closed them, spreading his spiritual awareness outward, carefully comparing and analyzing every detail.

With focused intent, he soon noticed subtle clues.

Suddenly, Mei Qing opened his eyes and looked up. There, hanging high in the night sky, were seven cold stars—the Big Dipper.

A faint smile appeared on his face. After a moment of silent contemplation, he slowly took out several blank talismans and dipped his brush in cinnabar, beginning to draw.

After finishing the talismans in one smooth motion, Mei Qing examined them with satisfaction, then gently tossed one into the air. With a hand seal and chanting spell, he called out, “The Seven Stars in the heavens—swiftly move!”

The talisman soared upward and vanished in an instant.

Mei Qing wasted no time, quickly focusing his mind and preparing for any reaction, carefully observing his surroundings.

Not long after, the stars in the sky began to tremble. Then, the entire sky of stars began to rotate faster and faster. The sea around him also trembled and splashed, yet made no sound. The surroundings became a kaleidoscope of shifting lights, glowing as bright as day. Then, with a soft “pop,” everything suddenly went dark.

Mei Qing looked up in astonishment.

He had been standing inside the grand hall of a temple all along.