Conceal the Sky and Cross the Sea, Arriving at Hundred Herbs City

Meanwhile, on Xiao Chen's side, after shaking off Zhao Hongwen's pursuit...

They immediately changed direction, turned back to the Imperial Capital, and rushed to the Ten Thousand Immortals Pavilion.

In fact, if he just wanted to evade the search, his original <Profound Sect Harmonious Modulation Secret Art> would have been sufficient.

However, to successfully pass the Checkpoint, one must master another secret art of disguise.

To the astonishment of the Ten Thousand Immortals Pavilion manager, Xiao Chen rejected both the Heaven-Grade Secret Method and Earth-level Secret Method.

They directly chose the only yellow-level disguise technique in their shop—<Mysterious Sect Illusion Art>.

Are you sure you want to choose this Yellow-grade Spell?

The manager emphasized the words "Yellow Rank" and couldn't help but remind him, "Logically, I shouldn't be so nosy, but this disguise technique is different from other Law Technique."

Even when encountering Detection Art of the same level, there is still a risk of being exposed.

In fact, the reason this book, "Mysterious Sect Illusion Art," is placed here is merely to nominally complete the four levels of Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow, using it to fill the quota.

It, along with two other Xuan-level disguise Law Technique, was placed on the shelf on the day the building was constructed, and has remained untouched ever since.

The steward was genuinely puzzled. This man in front of him was clearly not short of money, so why was he so reluctant to spend money on Law Technique?

However, Xiao Chen waved his hand, put down 10,000 Spirit Stone, and then left directly.

Now comes the moment to witness a miracle.

Two short days passed in the blink of an eye, in a small mountain valley three hundred miles north of the Imperial Capital.

A middle-aged man with a square face, broad forehead, thick eyebrows, and big eyes stood in front of the stream, observing his new appearance.

"Good heavens, even I don't recognize myself. Who would dare say this is the same person?"

Xiao Chen looked at his reflection in the water and nodded in satisfaction.

Thanks to the Hextech Buff, he successfully mastered the basics in just one day.

She then spent an entire day adjusting her figure and appearance, striving to be as lifelike as possible, to the point of being indistinguishable from the real thing.

Even if everyone from the Li Fire Sect were summoned now, no one would recognize him, let alone the three families of the Nether Sky Sea.

"Mysterious Sect Amnesty Order: Lock them up!"

Xiao Chen gave a soft shout, freezing the pose in place.

Yellow-grade Spell can fix a humanoid or an object.

"Human form" means transforming into the appearance of another person, while "object form" means transforming into inanimate objects such as flowers, trees, stones, or vases.

In this way, he can instantly switch to this appearance by simply activating the incantation, without having to spend time adjusting it again.

However, for safety's sake, Xiao Chen did not leave immediately.

Instead, he continued to cultivate the <Profound Sect Harmonious Modulation Secret Art> to adjust the fluctuations of his Divine Sense.

This measure is mainly to be prepared for any eventuality.

Despite being enhanced a hundredfold, there's a 99% chance his illusion won't be detected.

However, the Cultivation World is never short of accidents. If the Yellow-level disguise Law Technique fails, the <Profound Sect Harmonious Modulation Secret Art> can help to escape the enemy's Divine Sense tracking.

Xiao Chen is currently focusing on his cultivation.

To the east of the Xi Lai Kingdom, several large Flying Boat were arrayed along the border, just a few dozen feet away from intruding into its airspace.

One of the eight kings of the Xi Lai Kingdom responsible for guarding the border, King Dingjiang Meng Chengze, held a Yellow Pattern Crescent Halberd halberd and floated in the air with two river -River Patrol Python he had trained, blocking the way in front of the Flying Boat.

"Fellow practitioners, what brings you here today?"

"Fellow Daoist Meng, we have received intelligence that a wanted criminal has escaped into the territory of the Xi Lai Kingdom. We would be grateful if you could do us a favor."

Zhao Chenghan shouted loudly, and at the same time, dozens of powerful auras rose from the Flying Boat in response.

The reason the Zhao Family didn't come directly was because they were worried they would be stopped here.

Now that the three factions have gathered, ordinary cultivators dare not intercept them, thus giving them the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on the Imperial Capital.

Even so, Meng Chengze still refused outright. "I'm sorry, without a sect warrant, large Flying Boat are not allowed to enter."

If it were two years ago, he certainly wouldn't have dared to be so assertive.

However, times have changed. The Golden Haze Sect has now greatly increased its strength and naturally has the confidence to confront the Three Great Families.

The fact that the other side mobilized such a large force is likely related to the widely circulated million-dollar reward.

It's no secret within high-level circles that Foundation Establishment Cultivator named Chen Xiao has allegedly taken the true inheritance of the Immortal Palace.

In that case, the Golden Haze Sect should at least get a share of the profits.

Soon, a large number of Sky Crossing Bird appeared, carrying more than twenty Golden Core True Person, as they opened their Spirit Beast Bag.

Immediately, more than thirty different Spirit Beast appeared, all of which had reached the third rank.

In the central Spirit Boat, the heads of the Three Great Families exchanged glances, their eyes revealing a solemn expression.

They never expected that the Golden Haze Sect would cultivate so many Spirit Beast.

Fortunately, the Profound Heaven Immortal Palace opened ahead of schedule two years ago, effectively helping a large number of juniors to comprehend the Dao and break through to the Golden Core.

Otherwise, the balance of power between the two sides would be reversed, and they might lose a lot of resources as a result.

Even though they have the Pagoda True Lord behind them, they can't trouble him with everything.

At the same time, Golden Haze Sect Master Distant Haze True Person, felt a chill run down his spine as he sensed the incredibly powerful auras emanating from the opposite side.

The Three Great Families are full of talented people, and they have quietly cultivated so many Golden Core cultivator.

Fortunately, they made a great breakthrough in beast taming technology two years ago and obtained a lot of third-tier Spirit Beast; otherwise, they might have faced the danger of national extinction.

It's worth noting that in earlier years, besides the Three Great Families, Nether Sky Sea also had five sects.

But now those sects have either been annexed or besieged, and they've all become history.

As a result, the forces surrounding Nether Sky Sea were wary of the Three Great Families, fearing that they wanted to continue expanding outwards.

However, since the two sides are still evenly matched, peaceful negotiations are still necessary.

After all, several days have already been wasted, and apprehending Chen Xiao as soon as possible is of paramount importance.

As negotiations proceeded, the latest portrait provided by Zhao Hongwen also reached the hands of the Golden Haze Sect.

Returning Haze True Person looked at the portrait, and his eyes widened.

Isn't that the young cultivator who came ashore from the Subduing Sea Ship?

He had seen the old version of the Wanted Notice before, and when he met Xiao Chen back then, he felt that they were somewhat similar in build.

However, the Wanted Notice only listed Chen Xiao as Foundation Establishment Cultivator, while Flame Dragon True Person could easily kill three Sky Crossing Bird, so he was somewhat unsure whether they were the same person.

Upon seeing the latest portrait, he immediately realized—he had been tricked!

That Flame Dragon True Person doesn't actually have the surname Xiao; he's using an alias!

Even the letter might be a fake.

The other party deliberately fabricated the identity of Junior Brother Xiao to deal with potential inspections.

What a cunning and treacherous fellow!

Thinking of this, Returning Haze True Person's first reaction was to step forward and provide information.

But when the words were about to come out, he suddenly hesitated.

If this is brought up, wouldn't that mean he neglected his duties?

Once the sect starts investigating in this direction, the matter of the Sky Crossing Bird will no longer be able to be kept secret.

They might be able to capture Chen Xiao then, but Returning Haze True Person himself certainly wouldn't get any benefit. The best outcome would be that his merits and demerits would cancel each other out.

He might as well just shut up; that way, he wouldn't have to take any responsibility.

With a flicker of his eyes, he chose to remain silent.

Half an hour later, the two sides reached a simple verbal agreement, and then immediately launched a joint search and arrest operation within the territory of the Golden Haze Sect.

Golden Core from one of the Three Great Families and a Golden Haze Sect the Golden Core Sect worked together as a pair, monitoring each other.

The investigation began along every mountain and every river.

While they were conducting a large-scale search, Xiao Chen had already returned to the Checkpoint of the Nether Sky Sea.

The cultivators stationed at the Checkpoint were relatively polite to the Golden Core cultivator: "Fellow Daoist, please step forward and stand before the Truth Preserving Mirror."

Having learned that Chen Xiao had broken through to the Golden Core, all four Checkpoint were equipped with Special Spirit Tool designed to counter disguise Law Technique.

Moreover, the Truth Preserving Mirror is specifically designed to counter all illusionary Law Technique.

Under normal circumstances, even the most advanced disguise techniques will be easily detected until they reach their peak.

However, even with Hextech Hundredfold Enhancement, Xiao Chen still managed to block the detection thanks to his beginner-level <Mysterious Sect Illusion Art>.

I once again appreciated the beauty of numbers.

Seeing that the person in the mirror matched the image outside, the stationed cultivators dared not continue to obstruct them.

Instead, they respectfully let them pass. "The Chu Family thanks you for your support, fellow Daoist. Please go this way, and we wish you a safe journey."

Having successfully passed the Checkpoint, Xiao Chen felt relieved once again.

He calmly flew away on his sword, glancing back at what lay behind him.

He naturally saw a large number of Golden Core cultivator conducting a joint search along the way.

The thought of them still aimlessly searching for someone made him want to laugh, "Hehehe, you guys take your time, I'm off!"

The main forces of the Three Great Families were either in seclusion or had been transferred to the Xi Lai Kingdom.

Therefore, there are almost no Golden Core cultivator in the Nether Sky Sea.

Xiao Chen even visited the largest Nether Sky Market in the Nether Sky Sea, the Jingkong Market, and bought a sea chart from the Nether Sky Pavilion, which was jointly established by the Three Great Families.

There is a well-known saying in the Eastern Domain: The Endless Sea will eventually swallow everything.

Besides avoiding the territorial waters of High-Tier Demonic Beast, cultivators also need to avoid various disasters when they go to sea.

For example, some sea areas are prone to thunderstorms, the power of which is so great that even Nascent Soul True Lord has to avoid them.

The World Sea Thunderstorm that Xiao Chen encountered before were actually only of medium power.

For example, in some sea areas, Sea Boiling occasionally occurs, and a large area of the sea appears to be boiling and churning, accompanied by rising hot steam.

Strangely, it returns to normal after a short time, and the reason for boiling is often unknown.

For example, some sea areas occasionally experience Ghost Mist or mirages.

If some cultivators who mistakenly enter this place cannot leave in time, they may be completely swallowed up by the illusion.

Xiao Chen wasn't afraid of this, after all, he Divinity Veil.

In short, a detailed nautical chart that indicates safe routes is essential for safe navigation on the vast ocean.

Of course, this thing is sold everywhere.

The reason Xiao Chen specifically chose to buy from the Nether Sky Pavilion was purely out of a perverse sense of humor.

The Three Great Families wanted to capture him, but not only did they fail, they also provided him with the sea charts they had collected.

Win!

Of course, even if you win, you still have to keep track of the scores.

In just a few years, the Three Great Families will pay the price for their actions today.

You like the Secret Method of the Immortal Palace, right? Xiao Chen wouldn't mind letting them personally experience the power of the Yang Fire Seal.

If we can successfully collect the Yang Water Seal, perhaps we could consider a combination of ice and fire.

With the nautical charts as guidance, everything went smoothly along the way.

Upon leaving the Nether Sky Sea, Xiao Chen encountered another Checkpoint.

"Fellow Daoist, please grasp the Truth Discernment Pearl."

Before the resident monk was a pearl the size of a fist, emitting a soft white light.

Are you Chen Xiao?

"No."

Do you know Chen Xiao, as shown in the picture?

"I don't know him."

Do you know any clues or information related to Chen Xiao?

"Have no idea."

Xiao Chen shook his head repeatedly, admitting he knew nothing about the matter.

The Truth Discernment Pearl naturally cannot distinguish between the truth and falsehood of a cultivator's words; its principle is actually to use Bewitching Heart Secret Art to make people voluntarily tell the truth.

Upon hearing this, the Wen Family cultivator stationed there cupped his hands in farewell and said, "Thank you for your cooperation, fellow Daoist."

"The In-Between Sea is dangerous, please proceed with caution. I wish you a safe journey, fellow Daoist."

The In-Between Sea" he mentioned refers to the area between the Nether Sky Sea and Ten Thousand Immortals Archipelago, where there is no clear ownership.

This place has many names, and is also called the Sky Sea, the Common Sea, the Public Sea, the Masterless Sea, and so on.

Its main characteristics are that it has a few islands, but no or almost no Spirit Vein, and virtually no large schools of fish.

Aside from a few small Lineage who risk their lives to survive here.

Most of the time, there are only passersby and pirates who specialize in robbing pedestrians.

After all, Bandit Cultivator is a popular profession in the Cultivation World, with a long history and enduring popularity.

With a sharp blade in hand, the desire to kill arises spontaneously.

It just so happens that the cultivator actually has Flying Sword.

This adds an extra layer of danger to the In-Between Sea.

Fortunately, Xiao Chen's speed was fast enough that even his normal sword flight naturally deterred most of the Bandit Cultivator, and he didn't encounter any fools who came looking for trouble.

Therefore, he traveled almost without delay and successfully arrived at the Ten Thousand Immortals Archipelago in about three days.

There were also Checkpoint here, and a long row of Wanted Notice were displayed in the form of placards.

Xiao Chen glanced at the list and saw that most of the wanted criminals Bandit Cultivator who had their true identities exposed for various reasons.

Arranged from left to right according to the amount of the bounty.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered that Chen Xiao's million-dollar bounty was only ranked twelfth.

Hiss~!

Xiao Chen gasped in shock. Another expert?

He looked curiously at the first place winner, only to find that there wasn't even a portrait on the nameplate, just a code name— White Beard.

It is said that the Spirit Artifact used by the perpetrator during the crime was also a uniquely shaped whisk.

Age, name, and cultivation level are unknown, but based on the Magic Trace, it is no lower than the Mid-stage Golden Core.

The total bounty has reached 4.8 million Spirit Stone.

Any cultivator who obtains the White Beard man's head and the iconic whisk can come to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance to claim their reward.

The other Wanted Notice were all very similar, with very little useful information.

Comparatively speaking, people like Chen Xiao, who have full-body portraits, names, and cultivation levels, are relatively rare.

That's normal, though, since most of the people who are easy to find have probably already been arrested.

If you can catch even one, it's a huge sum of Spirit Stone, enough for an ordinary cultivator to live on for a lifetime.

Even Xiao Chen was tempted by the bounties and took the initiative to write down the names of the eleven people ahead of him.

.

While the Ten Thousand Immortals Archipelago also have Checkpoint, their scrutiny is far less stringent than that of the Nether Sky Sea.

There was no step of stopping them or checking them one by one; instead, a wide passageway was arranged for them.

Then they rely solely on the eyes of the resident monks to discern the differences.

Xiao Chen estimated that this Checkpoint could only serve as a symbolic deterrent, and it was hard to say how effective it would actually be.

However, this was also a good thing for him, as he easily crossed the Ten Thousand Immortals Archipelago.

They then passed through the In-Between Sea again, but still did not encounter Bandit Cultivator.

Eight days later, they successfully arrived in the Southern Lao Sea area.

The main destination of this trip to the Eastern Domain, the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm, is located on Hundred Herbs Island, which is slightly west of the center of the Southern Lao Sea.

There aren't even Checkpoint left in the Southern Lao Sea area.

The main reason is that Hundred Herbs City, the largest local power, is a rather unique entity.

Unlike other sea areas where a single sect dominates or several forces jointly control the sea area.

The effective control area of Hundred Herbs City is limited to the core Hundred Herbs Island and the other six relatively important third-order Spirit Vein in the Southern Lao Sea.

The remaining islands belong to various cultivation Lineage that are nominally affiliated with Hundred Herbs City but are actually quite independent.

The reason for this situation can be traced back to the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm.

Many years ago, the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm wasn't called the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm; it was a Spirit Herb Garden exclusively owned by the dominant sect, the Saint Medicine Sect.

However, during a routine Spirit Root Test, the Saint Medicine Sect discovered a promising candidate with a Heavenly Spirit Root.

So they took him directly back to their sect and, as was customary, secretly left people behind to help him sever all ties with the sect.

As it happened, a young man went to the sea to collect Spirit Herb that day, and by chance, he encountered a rare heavenly materials and earthly treasures among the coral reefs on the seabed, thus escaping the Spiritual Sense Search.

Then the Saint Medicine Sect disappeared.

The young man, who had already attained the status of True Lord, directly announced that the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm would henceforth be open to the public and shared by all people.

In the years that followed, various forces, large and small, rose and fell in the Southern Lao Sea.

Strangely enough, any force that attempts to dominate the Secret Realm is destroyed within a hundred years due to some unexpected factors.

Over time, it seemed to have become a Curse.

So, after yet another change of power, the newly crowned overlord of the Southern Lao Sea simply changed his strategy.

They relinquished control of the Secret Realm and instead built a city not far from the Secret Realm, named Hundred Herbs City.

Then, taking advantage of the fact that the Secret Realm is rich in Spirit Herb at low prices, we will vigorously cultivate Alchemist.

Each time the Secret Realm opens, besides collecting Spirit Herb Secret Realm,

Various stalls will also be set up around the area to attract independent cultivators to exchange the Spirit Herb they have collected for various elixirs on the spot.

By offering generous discounts, the production output of the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm was indirectly controlled.

This action successfully evaded the Curse from the the Unseen.

Over time, it gradually developed into a regular large-scale event.

Every time the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm opens, it attracts numerous cultivators who come hoping to try their Secret Realm inside.

After all, finding a Third-Tier Spirit Medicine would be like striking it rich for Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

If one could find a Fourth-Order Spirit Medicine, one could become rich overnight.

This also allowed Hundred Herbs City to earn a considerable amount of extra Spirit Stone by selling various books and tools on collecting and preserving Spirit Herb.

When Xiao Chen arrived at Hundred Herbs Island, a group of cultivators who had arrived early to participate in the grand event had already gathered there.

Especially some Qi Refining Cultivator who belong to the Southern Lao Sea but whose islands are located far away.

They arrived early and built their own cabins in the designated area to live in.

The inns in the city were too expensive for them; they charged one Spirit Stone for a night's stay.

For Golden Core True Person, there were originally individual cave abode built on Hundred Herbs Island.

However, out of a desire to keep a low profile, Xiao Chen chose to stay in an inn in the city, pretending to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

In a way, he's practically a rogue cultivator now.

The Li Fire Sect far away in the Southern Domain, so it can hardly be of any help.

Unless one happens to encounter Flying Rainbow True Person in the Eastern Domain, one might be able to recognize a fellow villager through Sect Token.

However, the Eastern Domain is so vast, and the two had never met before, so the probability of them recognizing each other by chance was really low.

"I'll focus on my cultivation for the next few days."

Xiao Chen calculated that there were still nearly six months until the Secret Realm opened.

To be honest, ever since he broke through to the Golden Core stage, he has hardly been able to concentrate on cultivation.

First, he searched for Cultivation Method, then dealt with the Azure Flame Sect, then resolved the Demonic Calamity, and finally worried about the Amethyst Bodhi, fearing he would miss the deadline.

Although I wouldn't say I was very busy along the way, I was mostly on the move and didn't have much opportunity to properly cultivate myself.

This was almost the longest gap in his cultivation experience since the opening ceremony ended.

"It's been a long time since I've practiced, and I've become a bit rusty."

After meditating cross-legged for several Greater Celestial Circuit, Xiao Chen was still a little unaccustomed to it.

Indeed, diligence leads to mastery, while idleness leads to ruin.

I've become lazy after not practicing for a few months.

In less than half an hour, I started to feel restless and wanted to go out for a walk, get some fresh air, and enjoy the scenery.

Fortunately, Xiao Chen's cultivation speed is now extremely fast. After persisting for a little while, he felt the faint signs of true essence gathering.

Thanks to this timely feedback, he was finally able to quickly regain his composure and focus on Condense True Essence.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and the Total True Essence within the Golden Core increased by another level.

To be honest, it's much more comfortable to cultivate here.

Firstly, the Spiritual Qi in the Eastern Domain is indeed generally stronger than that in the Southern Domain.

In particular, there is a Fourth-Order Spirit Vein on Hundred Herbs Island, where the Spiritual Qi is even more abundant.

Secondly, Xiao Chen was staying in the A-Grade Courtyard) at the back of the inn.

Although not as luxurious as cave abode, it occupies a large area on its own.

However, there are also two entrances and two exits, and Spirit Gathering Formation is set up in the main room to help collect Spiritual Qi.

At least for now, Xiao Chen's cultivation has not encountered the same shortage of Spiritual Qi that he experienced in the Scripture Pavilion.

Keep in mind that he consumed a hundred times the amount of Spiritual Qi.

Cultivating in the Southern Domain requires the use of spiritual items for assistance; otherwise, it will severely hinder efficiency.

However, you can save on spiritual items here, which is equivalent to saving a lot of money on purchasing spiritual items.

Even A-Grade Courtyard requires a daily payment of up to ten Spirit Stone.

It can still reduce cultivation costs by about 90%, after all, a bottle of ordinary Second-Tier Spirit Liquid costs hundreds of Spirit Stone.

This also shows that the overall level of cultivators in the Eastern Domain is higher, which is closely related to the environment there.

He secluded himself and cultivated for several dozen days in a row.

Just as Xiao Chen rediscovered the feeling of cultivation.

Early that morning, the sounds of gongs and drums could be heard outside.

Then came a constant stream of noise, clearly indicating that this was no ordinary day.

Although cultivators can actively Law Power to block out noise, Xiao Chen thought about it and decided to go out for some fresh air.

Firstly, he has been cultivating for quite some time now.

Secondly, as a rogue cultivator, he is completely ignorant about Hundred Herbs Island.

Why not take advantage of such a lively day to go out for a walk and gather some intelligence?