Zhou Chun, since separating from Lu Ran, had been diligently cultivating on the Nameless Isle.
Before Lu Ran left, he told Zhou Chun that the high-level Demon Beasts of Dragon Abyss Marsh generally wouldn't come to the waters around Nameless Isle, but there were no guarantees that there wouldn't be exceptions that strayed over by chance.
Therefore, he advised Zhou Chun to stay on the island rather than venturing into the water.
Zhou Chun took this to heart, spending his days meditating, cultivating, practicing secret techniques, or teasing the Golden Winged Tiger.
To avoid disturbance from the Demon Beasts on the island, he even let the Silver Lightning Python, Baibai, guard outside the cave, effectively claiming it as its lair.
Though Baibai was still in a weakened state, the presence of a second-tier Demon Beast was there, and with Zhou Chun's assistance, none of the island's Demon Beasts dared to provoke them.
After nearly a year of secluded cultivation on the island, Zhou Chun's progress in the secret technique "Flowing Light Golden Rainbow" had significantly improved, and he began to consider leaving.
The amount of special Spiritual Power within him that could be used for "Flowing Light Golden Rainbow" had increased by nearly half compared to a year before. This meant that, if he needed to use "Flowing Light Golden Rainbow" to flee, he could now cover over a hundred miles.
With this escape trump card, and with Baibai having recovered and passed its weakened period, Zhou Chun felt he could return home.
So, on a sunny morning, Zhou Chun left the Nameless Isle where he had lived for over a year and set out for the mainland.
He didn't choose to fly high above as that would have been too conspicuous and might have attracted unnecessary trouble.
Instead, he chose to ride Baibai across the water.
On the vast expanse of water, a silver line cleaved through waves at high speed, like a streak of silver lightning.
But Dragon Abyss Marsh was after all Dragon Abyss Marsh, where the number and strength of the Demon Beasts were far from comparable to those Zhou Chun had encountered in Misty Swamp.
Over a year ago, when Zhou Chun traveled through with Lu Ran, they moved unimpeded because the latter's presence as a third-tier powerhouse deterred the second-tier Demon Beasts from attacking.
However, Baibai, merely a lower second-tier Demon Beast, clearly lacked such capability.
Not long after Zhou Chun started riding it over the water, they encountered attacks from Demon Beasts living beneath the surface.
The Demon Beasts treated both Baibai and Zhou Chun on its back as prey.
Yet the combination of Zhou Chun and Baibai could virtually avoid capsizing unless they encountered a third-tier Demon Beast.
The Demon Beasts that dared to attack them were either wounded and driven off or killed on the spot.
After half a day, Zhou Chun and Baibai could see the outline of the mainland in the distance.
At that moment, Zhou Chun gave the order to change course, allowing Baibai to swim along the coast without attempting to go ashore.
He wasn't sure whether Golden Dragon Hall protectors were still lying in wait for him on shore; if there were, going ashore now would be dangerous.
Thus, he decided to test the waters.
About a day after Zhou Chun left Nameless Isle, and a thousand miles away from the former Black Spear Tribe site, within a settlement point of the Dragon Transformation Sect, a Golden Dragon Hall protector sensed in his daily divination the target that had not moved until now had suddenly shifted in another direction.
"Finally couldn't hold out and came out?"
A cold glint flashed in the eyes of the third protector, who promptly followed the sense and left the settlement heading towards the target's location.
Ever since the fourth protector unexpectedly perished in the Scale Frog Alien Clan territory over a year ago, and knowing that another Envoy had luckily survived, the Golden Dragon Hall Master, Li Tianxing, ordered the third protector to lie in wait at a base near the Black Spear Tribe, divining daily to verify the survivor's status and location.
For a mere missing Envoy, to have him, a distinguished protector, set all else aside and lie in wait, seemed to the third protector like an insult to his status.
Yet he dared not harbor any resentment against Li Tianxing, the Hall Master. Instead, he directed his anger toward the target of his watch.
Once he caught that person, he would certainly teach them how to spell death!
Meanwhile, Zhou Chun and Silver Lightning Python Baibai continued along the coast, encountering numerous attacks from waterborne Demon Beasts.
Twice, they were forced to take the risk of escaping onto the mainland, and Baibai even sustained serious external injuries.
Even so, Zhou Chun did not change the plan and continued to have Baibai carry him through the water.
On the third day after leaving the island, when they were less than a thousand miles from the underground river entrance, the situation Zhou Chun had been worried about finally happened.
Since he was not exerting himself, his constant vigilance allowed him to watch every direction and listen to all sides.
At that moment, while keeping an eye on the skies over the mainland, he saw a golden rainbow fly at high speed from the depths of the mainland toward Dragon Abyss Marsh.
This caused his expression to change dramatically, as he hastily stored Baibai in his Spirit Beast Pouch and then activated the "Flowing Light Golden Rainbow" secret technique, transforming into a golden rainbow and fleeing deep into Dragon Abyss Marsh.
"Such a fast Escape Technique! Who exactly is that person?"
The Golden Dragon Hall's third protector, watching from the sky, the gold rainbow disappearing in the distance over the waters, was also surprised.
He didn't know of any Envoy in the Golden Dragon Hall who possessed such a powerful flying escape technique.
But since the target was right in front of him, he saw no reason to give up; gnashing his teeth, he plunged into the midst of Dragon Abyss Marsh in pursuit.
However, after almost a quarter of an hour's chase covering hundreds of miles, and with no sign of the golden rainbow slowing down ahead, he felt a mix of shock and anger.