The night was cool as water. Thick clouds hung heavily over the cliff, and the black mist of the Wuwang Sea blotted out the sky. Yet, far in the distance, four beams of spiritual light infused with lunar power swept across the landscape, scattering a bit of the gloom.
Gan Ding slowly crawled up the cliff. His oddly shaped head swayed slightly, bearing an indescribably sinister expression.
Flap, flap, flap, flap—
A bat-like Sky Demon no larger than a fist flapped past with all its might, only to be caught in Gan Ding's grip and clutched tightly in his hand.
The Sky Demon hissed. Suddenly, a red glint flared in its eyes, and it unexpectedly spoke in a human tongue, emitting a man's furious voice:
[Monk! Is this the bullshit method you spoke of?! Letting the humans and demons treat our people like beasts to be hunted and slaughtered at will?]
[So many of our Sky Demon kin have been massacred. How am I supposed to answer to the demon generals?!]
[The Mother of Sky Demons is about to birth ten more demons to bolster our grand cause. If your plan fails, you will pay with your life!]
Gan Ding slowly stood straight. Shedding the turtle shell from his back, his perpetually hunched spine straightened, and the disguise on his face peeled away to reveal a rather familiar monk.
As it turned out, Gan Ding was none other than the demonic monk Huiyuan, who had transformed into a turtle demon.
Huiyuan had originally colluded with the Sky Demon Duanyu, plotting to seize the position of Sea Market Master.
Unexpectedly, Ao Mingzhu—whom they believed had practically no chance of survival and should have long been buried at the bottom of the Wuwang Sea—had managed to escape in one piece, albeit heavily wounded.
Consequently, Duanyu disguised itself as Prince Nine, Ao Zhen, infiltrated the Sea Market, and colluded with the aquatic demons and sea monsters that had followed Ao Zhen in life. It intended to exploit the rifts among the Three Great Sects to provoke conflicts between humans and demons and stir up turmoil.
Everything was supposed to proceed smoothly.
Supposed to.
Supposed to.
Huiyuan nearly ground his teeth to dust.
Among the myriad sects in the cultivation world of the North Province, the Qingjing, Hehuan, and Wuwei sects held the greatest power, collectively known as the “Three Great Sects.”
Friction existed among these Three Great Sects, and all of them coveted the resources of the Sea Market's twelve nations of the four directions. With just a bit of instigation and lobbying, internal strife could easily be sparked among the three without the Sky Demons even lifting a finger.
As for the ownership of the Sea Market, that was even simpler.
It was said that “those who are not of our kind are sure to be of a different mind.” Long-standing grievances festered between humans and the Demon race.
All it took was a single fuse to trigger an explosion.
Huiyuan considered himself exceedingly clever, capable of plotting against the entire realm.
Yet, somehow, something had gone terribly awry. Not only did the Three Great Sects fail to erupt into infighting, but with Ao Mingzhu acting as the intermediary, the alliance between the Three Great Sects and the Sea Market's demon clan had grown even tighter.
How could Huiyuan have known where on earth Ao Mingzhu procured so many low-grade pills?!
Every three days, she released a batch of a hundred thousand Qi-Supplementing and Blood-Supplementing Pills, selling them at eighty percent of the market price.
This caused the morale of the Sea Market cultivators to soar. Each fought like they were pumped with adrenaline, howling as they charged to the front lines to hack and slash Sky Demons, bathing in blood and risking life and limb.
On the surface, the Three Great Sects were as close as family, conducting profitable business with one another.
Ao Mingzhu recruited countless rogue cultivators as retainers to expand the Sea Market, winning the total allegiance of the twelve nations.
—A world where only the Sky Demons were hurt had been achieved.
At this thought, Huiyuan's facial muscles twitched. Squeezing the bat demon, he suppressed his anger and explained:
“Deity Transformation cultivators are hardly easy to deal with. When this strategy was laid down, we should have anticipated this. Though the plan has met some setbacks, it is proceeding smoothly overall. Sacrificing a few Sky Demons in exchange for the lives of the human and demon prodigies, as well as the collapse of the Three Great Sects' alliance—is that not a worthwhile trade?”
The bat demon remained silent. A moment later, it spontaneously combusted, turning to ashes.
Huiyuan shook his sleeves, sneering coldly to himself:
“Back then, having to avoid the heavenly lightning tribulation allowed that woman to escape. Who would have thought I would run into her here in the Wuwang Sea? What great fortune. I had already laid my plans, but killing two birds with one stone is truly an unexpected delight. This time, I will make sure she dies in the Wuwang Sea and reclaim the Witch Corpse to quell the hatred in my heart!”
...
The night passed without dreams.
After resting through the night, Nan Zhi felt refreshed the next morning. She arrived at the agreed rendezvous point, and within less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, everyone gathered as expected.
“Elder Sister Chaolu sent for help using the Cloud-Paper Brocade Art unique to our Chuyun Kingdom, something no outsider can forge. Although we only received half the message, it clearly stated that while scouting for demons in Wusheng Valley, she stumbled upon the cave abode of Elder Longbeard, an ascended demon immortal of the Sea race. That place is wondrous, containing countless secret treasures left behind by the demon immortal. Elder Sister Chaolu and several disciples have been besieged by Sky Demons for days, which is why they cannot break free.”
Though Chuyun Caixia was anxious to rescue her sister, she patiently explained the full story:
“Our mission to rescue them is not for the sake of Elder Longbeard's secret treasure. Elder Sister Chaolu carries life-saving treasures on her person; we only need to lure away some of the Sky Demons to help them break through the formation and escape.”
Nan Zhi immediately understood.
Wealth moves hearts, and cultivators were no exception.
A demon immortal's cave abode—especially one belonging to an immortal who had already ascended—was bound to contain a vast amount of leftover cultivation resources.
Elder Longbeard was a demon immortal of the Sea race. If word got out, there wouldn't even be scraps left for them in the future.
No wonder these people were willing to take the risk.
The others nodded. Jin Guan then briefly introduced the backgrounds and strengths of the group:
“Fellow Daoist Caixia is a female immortal of Chuyun with the highest cultivation among us at Golden Core Level 3. She excels at concealment, is proficient in divination and astrology, and uses her brocade-weaving art to engage enemies from a thousand li away. Fellow Daoists Canzhi and Meifu share a telepathic connection and are esteemed disciples of the Qingjing Sect. As alchemists who fight using the Pill-Killing Arts, they know all the world's herbs and understand pharmacology inside out. As for Fellow Daoist Ma Jiu, our entry into the valley will rely heavily on you. We have heard you possess the Ghost Slaying Scroll capable of slaughtering Golden Core great demons. With our lives on the line, we hope you will not hold back. Only by working with one mind can we free Fellow Daoist Chaolu and return victorious after slaying the demons.”
The others chimed in with agreements and then turned their gazes toward Chuyun Caixia.
Since she was leading this venture, she was the one to make the decisions.
Chuyun Caixia waved her hand. A golden shuttle-like dharma treasure darted up and down, capturing the morning glow from the edge of the sky and weaving it into a lightweight flying boat.
The group boarded the vessel. In an instant, the rouge-colored skiff cut through the wind and waves, soaring straight into the azure sky toward Nine Bends and Eighteen Gorges.
...
The flying boat woven from clouds moved with astonishing speed. As they drew near their destination, dense black mist loomed on the horizon. Layer upon layer of swirling dark gray vapor blanketed the sea, where perilous, jagged canyons rose sheer and steep.
Wusheng Valley was located on the outer perimeter of the Eighteen Gorges, nestled within the most rugged and grotesque section of the sea canyon. Within it, Sky Demons swarmed in dense clusters, and hungry ghosts roamed everywhere.
Chuyun Caixia maneuvered through the clouds before making a graceful landing a moment later, her swirling skirts as soft as a tuft of cotton.
“Just as... the Cloud-Paper indicated, Wusheng Valley lies within. Fellow Daoist Ma, do you happen to know anything about this place?”
“Wusheng Valley—”
Nan Zhi checked her map and traced a rough schematic in the air using a water curse. From among the dense clusters of red monster markers, she precisely picked out a safe route.
“Although this place lies on the outer perimeter of the Eighteen Gorges, Sky Demons are numerous, and packs of Magic Frogs have entrenched themselves here. If we force our way in, I'm afraid we will startle them and draw out High-level Sky Demons. To the north is Shrimp Island, where there aren't many Sky Demons. As long as we conceal our aura well, we can sneak in without a sound.”
Having said this, she glanced at everyone's expressions.
“If you all trust me, I can take the lead and scout ahead.”
“Agreed.” Canzhi spoke up suddenly, his expression calm. “I shall accompany Fellow Daoist. If an unexpected situation arises, we can look out for one another.”
Nan Zhi knew full well that he didn't trust her. Shifting her gaze, she caught sight of Gan Ding's expression and nodded with a hint of mischief:
“That makes sense. Huh? Fellow Daoist Gan, why does your complexion look so awful?”
Everyone's eyes turned toward Gan Ding, whose face was a fluctuating mix of green and white.
Huiyuan nearly bit through his own teeth, tasting the metallic tang of blood in his mouth.
How on earth did she do that?!
He had made countless preparations beforehand, yet she had somehow miraculously bypassed all of them!
Was this woman truly blessed with immense fortune, or was she just playing dumb while seeing through everything?!
Rate on N.U.
