The Golden Light Sect's Flying Ship was nearly forty zhang long and over five zhang wide, its hull coated entirely in red lacquer.
Golden-edged black flags stood all around it, whipping in the wind. Golden lion heads were painted on them, radiating dominance and majesty.
After waiting for an hour, the imposing formation array on the Flying Ship began to operate. It suddenly started moving at a slow pace, treating the sky as the sea and the clouds as waves, sailing toward the northern mountains.
More than two hundred disciples stood on the deck in groups of three or five. Only a few, like Su Hao, remained listlessly hidden in a corner.
"Martial Artist (gray), Extraordinary Bones (gray), Talent for Pills (white), Wood Spirit Body (white), Golden Spirit Body (white), Tong Yuan (blue)..."
Su Hao silently observed the surrounding cultivators' talents. Even the weakest had at least one white talent. Five-Element Spirit Physiques were the most common, while fewer than one in ten possessed a blue talent.
Talent entries of a lower grade could be upgraded two at a time as long as there were enough of them, making it easy to produce a qualitative transformation.
He had a deep understanding of this.
Talents like Medicine Person and Medicine Slave could initially only be used as materials by others, yet they had eventually become the powerful Wood Emperor Physique.
Therefore, those low-grade talents related to cultivation aptitude would certainly have greater potential than the Hundred Profound Gang Body.
Su Hao was greatly tempted. If he killed all these people, he could definitely create one or two top-tier talents.
Once they reached the Blood Soul Secret Realm, even if he did nothing else, he could still absorb some low-grade talents. It would be a guaranteed profit.
"I should have come out sooner. For cultivators, talent is the key. Talent is potential.
"I can continuously strengthen talents, so how can I keep shut away and build a chariot behind closed doors?
"Even if I secluded myself for several years, the gains wouldn't compare to obtaining more top-tier talents. It would be twice the result with half the effort."
Su Hao cast the matter of Liu Mei to the back of his mind.
She was merely a female cultivator who flaunted her body, hardly worth mentioning. Surely that cheap woman wouldn't waste time on him and chase after him, would she?
"Junior Brother, you look unfamiliar."
A fat Daoist with a kindly smile walked over.
Name: Cui Hao
Realm: Qi Refining Level 6
Talents: Innate Brute Strength (gray), Bronze Rock Body (white)
Innate Brute Strength: Born with strength greater than ordinary people, increasing strength by three hundred jin.
Bronze Rock Body: Thick-skinned and stout, granting a slight increase in comprehension and cultivation efficiency when using earth-element cultivation methods.
Su Hao's expression remained indifferent. During this period, he had already seen through the style of the Golden Light Sect's outer sect.
Every one of them appeared gentle, honest, harmless to both man and beast. Yet the more they acted that way, the more carefully one had to guard against them.
Those who took the initiative to offer greetings usually had ulterior motives.
"Senior Brother, is something the matter?" Su Hao glanced at the two men and one woman not far behind Cui Hao. They seemed to be with him.
Two were at Qi Refining Level 6, and one was at Qi Refining Level 7.
"Hehe, I saw that Junior Brother was alone. This is also the Flying Ship heading to the Blood Soul Secret Realm. With your strength at Qi Refining Level 5, venturing into the Blood Soul Secret Realm alone would be a perilous undertaking.
"Even Senior Brothers at Qi Refining Level 10 wouldn't dare explore a secret realm alone.
"There are always young people who lack experience, ignorant and fearless, rushing off to their deaths.
"Fortunately, I am traveling with several fellow Daoists. Why not come with us?"
Cui Hao smiled with narrowed eyes as he sized up Su Hao. "My name is Cui Hao."
Travel together and explore the secret realm as a group?
If Su Hao were that naïve, he would never have survived until today.
The other party had probably noticed his low strength and wanted to kill him for his possessions, or use him as a tool to scout the way ahead.
Su Hao was about to refuse, but stopped himself. A forceful rejection would only make them resent him more. Perhaps he should turn the tables and follow them instead.
"Junior Brother, what are you hesitating over? Are you afraid we'll harbor ill intentions toward you?"
"To be honest, venturing into the secret realm alone would be like a moth flying into the flames. Instead of worrying about whether we have ill intentions, you should be more concerned about the dangers within the secret realm. Perhaps I should advise you to turn around and go back."
"..."
Cui Hao continued persuading him in a pleasant tone. His companions also came over, preparing to take turns persuading him.
Suddenly, a disturbance came from behind. It was the explosive sound of air produced by something flying at high speed.
Su Hao instinctively looked back.
The Crimson Silk Ribbon danced, faintly forming a fire phoenix. In the blink of an eye, it caught up with the Flying Ship.
The Flying Ship consumed too much energy when traveling at full speed. Under normal circumstances, it flew at thirty percent speed, with long-distance transportation as its advantage.
Soon, the person drew alongside the left side of the Flying Ship. A seductive laugh came from there. "I almost didn't make it. Senior Brother piloting the Flying Ship, please open the barrier and let me in."
The invisible air barrier suddenly flickered with light, opening a square window.
The captivating figure that drew countless gazes, carrying waves of enticing fragrance, lightly landed on the golden pavilion on the second level.
"So it's Fairy Liu from Joy Peak!"
"Huh, Fairy Feimeng!"
"Fairy Feimeng, what brings you here?"
"Looks like Fairy is going to the Blood Soul Secret Realm too. Fairy, you are as elusive as an immortal. Ever since I saw Fairy Liu's graceful bearing from afar during the competition half a year ago, I have been lovesick and dreaming of you. At last, I can see you again."
"..."
On the lower deck, countless cultivators gazed up at the fairy. Looking from below, the first thing they saw was that pair of extraordinarily beautiful, slender white legs and the alluring scenery faintly visible beneath her skirt.
Cui Hao and the others were dumbstruck. Gazing at Liu Mei, who seemed like Chang'e descending to the mortal world, they had long since forgotten all about Su Hao.
Liu Mei cast an intentional or unintentional glance at the disciples below, and soon her eyes met Su Hao's.
The curve of her lips deepened. For an instant, it seemed as though she was smiling at Su Hao.
But in the next moment, she continued chatting with her senior brothers and sisters, exchanging polite pleasantries.
"..." Su Hao lowered his head, his expression exceedingly grim.
Liu Mei had actually reached Qi Refining Level 7!
In just over ten days, she had gone from Qi Refining Level 5 to Qi Refining Level 7?
How could a dozen or so Medicine Slaves have helped her so much? She had almost caught up to the speed at which he continuously consumed pills!
"Little Mei, what brings you here?"
A sinister-looking old man in red robes walked out of the pavilion.
The old man stretched his lips into a smile, though the smile looked increasingly ill-intentioned.
Name: Fang Yunrong
Realm: Foundation Establishment Early Stage
Talent: Fire Profound Body (blue)
Fire Profound Body: Possessing unusual meridians that contain a strand of profound fire qi, doubling one's results when cultivating fire-element cultivation methods.
The instant Su Hao saw the old man, fear surged involuntarily into his heart.
Back then, Fang Yunrong had used the excuse that Zhang Yunfei was a pillar of the Myriad Souls Pagoda and, right in front of Su Hao, sucked him alive until he became a dried corpse!
This fear came not only from the pressure of his strength, but also from that scene. This man had become a psychological shadow in Su Hao's heart.
Foundation Establishment Early Stage!
Back then, he had been unable to see the old man's information. Now he could—Foundation Establishment Early Stage.
Fang Yunrong's divine sense was powerful, and his instincts were exceptionally sharp. With one sweep of his gaze over the disciples below, he discovered Su Hao among the crowd, especially that abnormal fear.
However, Fang Yunrong was renowned for his cruelty and ruthlessness. There were countless outer sect disciples who feared him. He merely assumed that Su Hao's mental cultivation was inadequate, leaving his emotions written plainly across his face, and paid no attention to him.
"Huh, Qi Refining Level 8? I've never heard of this brat. His concealment technique is first-rate; he nearly deceived even me. But his mental cultivation is poor. He's timid and cringing, as cowardly as a mouse. He will accomplish little!"
Fang Yunrong saw Su Hao's panicked lowering of his head and gave a contemptuous smile before withdrawing his gaze.
For cultivators, strength was the foundation. No matter how powerful a concealment technique was, it was merely a side path.
Anyone unable to become an inner sect disciple was not worth attention!
"Elder Fang, it's perfectly normal for me to come out. I just wanted some fresh air and a little diversion. It's you who are the busy and important one, Elder. It would be strange for you to leave the sect."
Liu Mei bowed. In front of the elder, she was exceptionally obedient.
"Ah, it's a long story. Recently, I've been acting under the sect's orders to capture prodigies from other sects who pass through the territory of the Golden Light Sect and the territories of its affiliated forces.
"Whether they're from the righteous or demonic paths, allies or enemies, as long as they passed through our Golden Light Sect recently, we have to find a way to capture every last one of them.
"The Sect Master has issued a death order. If we can't find the target, all of us elders will be punished. We have no choice but to send out more people. Even an old, useless Foundation Establishment Early Stage like me has to go out and help."
Fang Yunrong gave a bitter smile and sighed.
"Capture prodigies? Is it related to the disturbance at the Myriad Souls Pagoda?" Liu Mei had heard about this matter.
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