Chapter 61: The Black Straw Hat

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: The Black Straw Hat

Qingyu agreed with a nod. Having decided to head to the Eastern Mist Mountains, Ye Xuan immediately flew high into the sky and left Scarlet Moon Forest, heading east.

Since the destination was located within the Sea of Mist Realms, Ye Xuan would have to leave the Xiao Empire and seek opportunities in another territory.

Naturally, many things could happen along the way, especially considering that the region was predominantly controlled by demonic sects.

However, as long as he didn’t draw too much attention to himself, they wouldn’t bother him either.

The distance from Scarlet Moon Forest to the Sea of Mist Realms was considerable.

Ye Xuan couldn’t keep flying throughout the night while letting his guard down.

He would have to stop occasionally to rest and cultivate until he finally reached the territory.

Time passed quickly, and the sunlight began to fade along the horizon. Night was approaching, so Ye Xuan decided to take a short rest.

He discovered an abandoned village with no inhabitants, resembling one that had been destroyed by a monster attack.

Ye Xuan activated his Myriad Eye Technique and noticed several spots of qi aura scattered throughout the village.

They weren’t particularly strong, allowing him to classify them as Mortal-Beasts.

"There’s no one here, just monsters."

[Relax, Ye Xuan. I can handle them.]

The man landed in the village and walked forward while remaining vigilant.

Ahead of him stood a fairly large house that was still relatively intact, with only parts of it damaged.

He approached the building and saw old furniture scattered across the tables and floor, typical of a mortal’s residence.

Dust had accumulated in several corners, while spiderwebs covered the ceiling.

However, Ye Xuan hadn’t actually intended to use this place as his resting spot.

He was planning to take out his teleportation token and travel to the Golden Pagoda. He wasn’t going there to rest, either, but rather to say goodbye to Senior Wang.

The reason was simple. The considerable distance made it difficult for Ye Xuan to activate the teleportation token from there.

Under such circumstances, it would be difficult for him to visit the Golden Pagoda.

He activated the teleportation token, and a blue formation rune appeared on the floor of the house.

Ye Xuan stepped onto it and was transported away within seconds.

When he opened his eyes, he was already standing in the courtyard in front of the Golden Pagoda, with the surroundings clearly visible before him.

"This junior pays his respects to Senior Wang."

"Have you found anything, Brother Ye?" Wang Shuyuan asked.

"This junior hasn’t had the chance to look for more Water Elemental Essence. I also haven’t managed to find Miss Shi Yun’er."

"The reason I came here is to bid farewell for the time being," Ye Xuan replied.

Inside the pagoda, Senior Wang immediately opened his eyes. He had heard every word Ye Xuan said.

"What happened?"

"This junior plans to visit the Eastern Mist Mountains to improve his combat strength," Ye Xuan answered.

"The Eastern Mist Mountains? That is indeed an ideal place for you to train," Senior Wang remarked. "I permit you to go, but you must be careful, Brother Ye."

"My pagoda is located far beyond the range within which your teleportation token can function. You can no longer rely on it as a means of escape."

Ye Xuan cupped his hands and lowered his head, explaining that he fully understood the consequences of the teleportation token’s limitations.

From a window on the seventh floor of the pagoda, a straw hat shot out and flew toward Ye Xuan.

He extended both hands and caught the black straw hat.

"Always wear that straw hat to conceal your aura and make yourself appear like someone from the demonic cultivation path."

"You must be careful of the Heavenly Demon Sect and the Soul Puppet Sect. They are dangerous and won’t hesitate to kill anyone," Senior Wang said.

"May the heavens always protect you, Brother Ye."

Ye Xuan once again paid his respects to Wang Shuyuan.

"Thank you. This junior will always remember your advice, Senior Wang."

After bidding farewell, Ye Xuan walked back to the formation rune and was transported once again to the house in the abandoned village.

The teleportation token stopped emitting light, and the young man immediately stored it in his bag of holding.

Curious, he took out the straw hat and put it on. He didn’t know whether its effects were working, since only other people could perceive the changes it caused.

[What Senior Wang said is right. To stay safe in a territory controlled by demonic cultivators, you must adjust your appearance to blend in with them.]

"I don’t have a clear idea of what demonic cultivators look like, so I can’t do that."

"Perhaps once we get there, we can figure it out after observing how the others dress."

Ye Xuan stepped out of the house and returned to the village road.

Just as he was about to fly away, his movements stopped when three cultivators arrived in the village.

All three were men wearing yellow robes.

Their reaction surprised Ye Xuan. The three immediately cupped their hands and bowed in greeting.

"Greetings, Senior."

"This junior would like to ask if the Senior has seen anyone entering this village," one of them asked.

Could it be that the straw hat is concealing my qi aura and making my appearance look different?

[I think so.]

Ye Xuan looked ahead again before pointing behind him.

He gestured toward a gap between two rocky hills, which served as an entrance to a dense forest.

"I sensed a cultivator’s qi aura coming and going into that direction, but I can’t be certain whether it’s the person you’re looking for."

"Thank you for the information, Senior."

"We’ll take our leave!"

The three men flew away from the abandoned village, leaving Ye Xuan alone with Qingyu, who remained coiled around his neck.

They have no idea.

[This is good. However, I’m worried that the straw hat won’t be useful against cultivators with higher cultivation bases.]

[For now, you should keep wearing it, Ye Xuan.]

Ye Xuan nodded at Qingyu’s advice before manifesting his sword again, "This place isn’t safe. Let’s rest somewhere else."