Ji Yuan gazed into the distance silently, withdrawing his gaze after a long moment before turning towards the darkness ahead.
Although most cultivators had entered the water mansion, it was still uncertain if anyone was hiding in the shadows. Exiting directly from the water would be too conspicuous.
Indeed, after he had traveled only a few dozen feet, he detected subtle fluctuations nearby. Clearly, cultivators skilled in this art were secretly observing the distant water mansion.
There were always those who preferred not to expose themselves to danger, those who wished to avoid the turmoil within the cave mansion and the battles with other cultivators. They favored the strategy of "the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."
For instance, they would lie in wait outside the cave mansion, waiting for the exhausted explorers to leave, and then effortlessly seize the opportunities the explorers had painstakingly obtained.
This person clearly harbored such intentions. Although he didn't know why someone had emerged from the water mansion in such a short time, a mere cultivator at the early stage of the second realm was someone he would never let go.
Even if the other party had not acquired any fortuitous encounters, they still possessed the cultivation of the second realm. Even a rogue cultivator from the mountains and marshes could yield some benefits.
With this thought in mind, the individual chose to remain hidden in the shadows, quietly waiting for the young man in the distance to approach.
When the distance between them was no more than forty to fifty feet, this cultivator, who was at the middle stage of the second realm, was ready to strike. He intended to launch a surprise attack with lightning speed.
However, as soon as the person channeled the spiritual energy within his body, and before his hand seals were even completed, and a faint spiritual light had barely appeared on his artifact, a shadow suddenly materialized before his eyes.
A colossal, enormous head suddenly appeared before the cultivator, mere inches away!
The next moment, the giant snake head opened its gaping maw, and a stream of water was spat out, directly engulfing the cultivator.
Alas, the unfortunate soul couldn't even utter a sound before his life was extinguished. His entire body was shattered by the stream of water, leaving only a few scattered items to drift rapidly towards the lakebed.
Ji Yuan swam forward, standing atop the giant snake's head. He abruptly swung his arm, and a light blue whip-like shadow flashed, coiling around a few drifting artifacts and bringing them back.
He didn't even glance at them. After sensing with his spiritual energy that there were no hidden traps, he stored them in his Emerald Ring.
"Go! Leave at maximum speed!"
He glanced back, sensing several hidden presences in the pitch-black lake water rapidly approaching. He immediately transmitted a thought.
The giant snake beneath his feet swayed, and it began to swim rapidly through the lake. Its speed was comparable to a third-realm cultivator flying with spiritual energy.
The hidden presences behind them immediately halted. Clearly, they realized that with their speed, they would never be able to catch up. They could only quietly retreat.
"I never expected you to be so fast in the water!"
Ji Yuan conveyed his thoughts to the giant snake beneath him.
After more than four months of recuperation, the giant snake he had subdued had finally recovered from all its injuries. Its aura had even slightly increased, bringing it close to the late stage of the second realm.
He knew that due to the influence of the Water Element Spirit Essence of the Five Elements from its birth, it possessed exceptional talent in water-related abilities, but he had not anticipated it having such speed in water.
"If I push myself, I can be even faster."
A consciousness transmitted, making Ji Yuan's eyes light up.
If that were the case, in the future, if he encountered any danger, he could always find a large river and dive in. With the giant snake's speed, even third-realm cultivators might not be able to catch up.
He estimated that only cultivators at the middle stage of the Ming Dao realm or higher, or those exceptionally skilled in water techniques at the early stage, could keep pace with the giant snake.
Rumble!!
Just then, a surge of energy erupted from behind him. Although they were in the water, it felt as if they were on land, with a roaring sound blasting in his ears.
Logically, sound could indeed be transmitted through water, but it should still be somewhat different.
Ji Yuan quickly turned to look, but the area behind him was already pitch black, with only a pinpoint of light, no larger than a grain of rice, flashing intensely.
He sighed silently and then transmitted a thought, urging the giant snake beneath him to move away from this place as quickly as possible.
About half an hour later, a colossal shadow emerged from the lake surface near the shore. Then, a giant beast broke through the water and rapidly approached the shore.
Not long after, Ji Yuan leaped down. As soon as he regained his footing, he stored the giant snake in the spirit beast bag. He scanned his surroundings and then quickly left the area.
Although more than four months had passed, he remained extremely cautious. He avoided the direction he had come from and headed in the opposite direction, diligently covering his tracks along the way to prevent anyone from easily tracking him.
Although the possibility was slim, Ji Yuan was still wary that the demonic cultivator might madly search for months in the marsh.
Such an seemingly absurd act was not entirely impossible for a demonic cultivator. Once a persistent obsession took root, they would never give up easily.
After all, demonic cultivators generally could not be treated with normal reasoning. Calling them a group of lunatics would not be an exaggeration; in fact, it might even be an understatement.
However, Ji Yuan's luck seemed to be good. Not only did he not encounter the demonic cultivator, but he also did not encounter any danger along the way.
Let alone other cultivators, even the mutated beasts that Huang Tianci had kept in the marsh seemed to have completely vanished. Apart from poisonous insects in the dense miasma, his journey was almost unimpeded.
After spending about a day, Ji Yuan finally reached the edge of the marsh. Outside was a dense forest that stretched endlessly.
He pondered for a moment, then cautiously withdrew from the marsh and, at the fastest speed possible, melted into the dense tree shadows.
Over the next few days, he navigated using a special instrument to determine direction, moving cautiously and concealing his tracks. Even when he occasionally sensed something or passed by a few cave mansions, he did not stop.
For Ji Yuan now, the fortuitous encounters he had obtained were more than enough. Whether it was the Profound Origin Divine Manifestation True Method, the insights on his peak, the incomplete furnace hanging from his waist, or the inheritance from the water mansion, and so on.
Such gains were already immense. Any one of them could make a third-realm cultivator envious, and it was even possible that a Golden Core Great Cultivator might intervene. Therefore, there was no need to court further trouble.
The most pressing matter now was to return to the crossing warship of the Nine Xuan Sect as soon as possible to ensure his own safety.
Otherwise, no matter how many fortuitous encounters he gained, they would merely serve as a stepping stone for others.