The Seas Change, Land is Hard to Find! A Small Favor Saves the Alliance
A lone traveler wanders the vast sea, his temples graying with the dust of war. He fishes alone on the boundless blue ocean, but where can he find a blessed vessel?
On the Eastern Immortal Sea, a lone boat floated on the vast ocean. Chen Dengming, wearing a bamboo hat, lay on the deck of the spirit boat adrift on the sea, observing with a map in hand while sensing from afar that his several clones were investigating the situation of the blessed land.
"Waaah--"
The Black Cloud Leopard approached, its massive size instantly blocking out a large patch of sunlight, causing the spirit boat to swell in the water and tilt slightly forward.
"Go to the side and wait there. Don't bother me now, I'm busy."
Chen Dengming impatiently waved his hand and slapped away the Black Cloud Leopard that was blocking his view.
At this point, it had been half a month since he left Shuiyun Island.
He has already located the second recorded blessed land using the map.
However, considering the perspectives of his three avatars who were currently investigating, Chen Dengming had already determined that this blessed land had been occupied by a large immortal sect, with a Nascent Soul True Lord presiding over it.
Before this blessed land, the first blessed land we found was abandoned, without even Spirit Vein, as if it had been dug up by someone, and its environment was not as good as that of Shuiyun Kingdom.
Although the second blessed land recorded here has two Third-Rank Spirit Vein, it has already been claimed by someone else, which makes Chen Dengming feel somewhat helpless.
"There are still twenty-nine blessed lands left. Could they all be abandoned or already claimed by someone else?"
Chen Dengming reached out and crossed out the second blessed land on the map, then looked at the other twenty-nine blessed lands scattered across the vast Eastern Immortal Sea.
Of these twenty-nine blessed lands, the closest to his current location is only a little over two thousand nautical miles away.
However, based on common sense, since this second blessed land has been discovered by a sect with a Nascent Soul True Lord in charge, the nearby areas with abundant resources must have already been discovered and occupied as well.
"Let the clone go check it out; I'll go to the more distant area first."
Chen Dengming selected three auspicious sites that were relatively close to each other on the map.
A thought flashed through my mind.
The three avatars all rushed to the locations of the three blessed lands, while the main body piloted a spirit boat to a more distant blessed land.
One month later.
Wind Chime Island.
A silver beach, illuminated by the sunlight, resembles a gleaming glass mirror, with layers of white, chain-like waves repeatedly caressing the shore.
When the sea breeze blows, it stirs the Formation Flag of the island-protecting formations that cover the entire island chain, producing a series of ringing sounds that echo with the sound of the waves.
Beyond the silvery beach lies a bustling Marketplace, governed by the Immortal Sect, a powerful immortal sect with three Golden Core Great Cultivators.
The nearly 1,000 disciples in the Marketplace live in a peaceful and bustling area along the riverbank, surrounded by several Second-Rank Spirit Vein.
The area is filled with all kinds of shops, including Law Treasure shops, magic weapon shops, shops selling Spirit Plant Spirit Rice, Spiritual Material, auction houses, and restaurants. It is bustling with cultivators and merchants, making it even more prosperous than a major cultivation city.
"Tui!"
Inside a private room at a restaurant, Chen Dengming spat out a mouthful of fishy-smelling shark fin, rinsed his mouth several times, and shook his head with a grim expression.
"It tastes awful."
Since arriving in the Eastern Immortal Sea beyond the Four Domains, Chen Dengming has felt that he has only occasionally had a decent meal, and has never had any Spirit Cuisine ingredients that suit his taste.
Even Golden Core Great Cultivator found the food unpalatable.
What frustrates him even more is that this ninth recorded blessed land has already been claimed by the Wind Chime Sect.
"This blessed land was discovered by the First Ancestor about three hundred years ago. Over three hundred years of changes have taken place here. At that time, this place was a strait, and the blessed land was deep in the strait."
More than three hundred years have passed, the strait has disappeared, and this place has become an island, so it's quite normal that it has been discovered.
Chen Dengming recalled the information recorded on the map with some emotion. He picked up a bowl of seafood porridge that suited his taste, took a few sips, and then took out the map again to continue studying it carefully.
The earliest of the thirty-one blessed lands recorded in the map given by the First Ancestor dates back 3,200 years.
More than 800 years ago, the First Ancestor went to revisit the site, and at that time, the oldest blessed land still existed.
Because of its extremely secluded location, situated deep within a karst cave, which contains a Fourth-Rank Spirit Vein and several Spirit Springs.
The existence of Spirit Vein cannot be detected unless one ventures deep into the cave.
But now, more than 800 years later, it's hard to say whether that blessed land still exists.
Even if a blessed land exists, it will change over time.
For example, when the blessed land of Wind Chime Island was discovered, a Third-Rank Spirit Vein was buried underground.
However, now that it has been occupied by the Wind Chime Sect, there are only two Second-Rank Spirit Vein and no Third-Rank Spirit Vein. Perhaps the Third-Rank Spirit Vein of the past have dried up, which is why they have gradually evolved into two Second-Rank Spirit Vein.
Chen Dengming drew a circle on the map, marking the karst cave that had been re-examined more than 800 years ago, preparing to explore this blessed land as his next stop.
Just then, a Martial Immortal Clone guarding the Marketplace suddenly sensed a fierce battle roar coming from a palm grove not far away.
Immediately, they saw spiritual light flashing on the treetops, and a surge of energy raging, as someone shouted loudly.
"You two foreigners sneaked into our auction house to steal; you deserve to die."
Chen Dengming was taken aback. "An overseas person?"
He immediately manipulated his clone, which was hidden behind the rocks outside the Marketplace, to come out and investigate. Then he heard one or two angry shouts coming from behind.
"You're spouting nonsense! Those things are ours to begin with."
"I never imagined that the Wind Chime Sect would act so despicably!?"
"These overseas Chinese dare to spout such nonsense? Hand over the stolen goods immediately!"
"Boom--"
Another loud bang erupted, Spiritual Light shot out from the palm grove.
Chen Dengming jumped up from the dining table, then quickly regained his composure, a thought flashing through his mind.
The Martial Immortal Clone outside the Marketplace and the Heavenly Immortal Clone who was cultivating by "borrowing Spirit Vein" inside the market quickly sprang into action.
Almost the instant the Martial Immortal Clone locked onto the several beams of spiritual light.
The two groups of people burst out of the palm grove and sped past one after the other, rushing towards the sea.
When Chen Dengming saw that one of the two fleeing men was wielding a familiar black halberd, his expression changed slightly.
"They're from the Tiandao Sect."
After pondering for a moment, he instructed his two clones to discreetly follow them using the Golden Escape Technique.
Both clones have changed their appearances, so even if they are discovered, it's Zhou Red Hair or Wang Green Hair who did it, and it has nothing to do with Chen Baimao.
Several dozen breaths later.
On the shimmering, undulating sea, the booming sounds of several Law Treasure artifacts colliding with Technique Method echoed far and wide.
Blurry figures touched and then separated, speeding through the air, chasing each other, their flashes of light colliding, and swiftly passing by.
"Bang!--"
Suddenly, the two figures at the forefront were struck and crashed into the sea. Before they could escape into the water, several large waves suddenly burst forth with spiritual light, coiling like long snakes and binding the two of them together.
"Run! Why aren't you running anymore?!"
In the air, three figures floated. The one in the lead, a triangular-eyed cultivator who used water-based Technique Method, coldly stared at the two captured cultivators and snorted.
"You two overseas cultivators stole a priceless treasure from my Fengtao Auction House; today you are doomed!"
"Pah!"
A disciple of the Tiandao Sect glared and shouted angrily, "Your Fengtao Auction House is utterly shameless and twists the truth! The Law Treasure we consigned for sale have become yours for nothing just because we refused to pay you a high consignment fee! You..."
"Shut up, all of you!"
The triangular-eyed cultivator's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he waved his hand.
Whoosh--
Two jets of water shot up and poured into the mouths of the two cultivators, silencing their voices.
At the same time, the other two cultivators exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with murderous intent, and simultaneously activated their Law Treasure, ready to attack.
Just then, the three of them felt a chill run down their spines, and their minds were filled with alarm. They felt two extremely powerful and terrifying spiritual forces enveloping their bodies from behind, as if any rash move would result in a fatal blow.
"Who?"
The three of them paled simultaneously, cold sweat instantly beading on their foreheads and backs. They sensed that this terrifying spiritual power was likely from False Core Great Cultivator.
Two False Core Great Cultivator!?
"Not good!"
The triangular-eyed cultivator at the head of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage felt his heart sink to the bottom. His mind raced, and he dared not turn around. He immediately spoke.
"But which senior from overseas? We can let these two go, and we don't want the goods. We hope you won't make a mistake; according to the Four Seas Common Pact, you must not lay a hand on us."
In an instant, he clearly assessed the situation and invoked the Four Seas Common Pact.
At present, survival is the priority. As long as the other party does not dare to violate the Four Seas Common Pact, they will be able to get their revenge for today's score sooner or later.
In the territory of the Eastern Immortal Sea, especially within the area of the Wind Chime Sect, whether something is black or white is ultimately decided by these local cultivators. Who would listen to the lies of overseas cultivators?
Unexpectedly, the moment this thought crossed the mind, the triangular-eyed cultivator's expression changed drastically; the other party actually dared to make a move.
Boom--
He had just turned his head when his face was violently trembling from the strong wind. At the last second, he managed to turn his Law Artifact around to shield his head.
The next moment, a loud bang erupted.
His defensive magic Law Artifact was blasted open by a huge impact, slamming hard into his face.
'Click'--
His facial bones shattered and collapsed, his mind went blank, and he was completely stunned.
Before he could even react, a blurry figure approached like lightning, a large hand reached out, grabbed his ankle, and slammed him down onto the water in a flat position.
With such terrifying force and speed, even the surface of water would become harder than rock.
"Bang!"
The water surface sank into a deep crater as if it had exploded, with wildly splashing white waves resembling an enraged old man shaking his white hair. This was accompanied by a mouthful of blood spit out by the triangular-eyed cultivator, whose internal organs shattered instantly.
The other two cultivators were so shocked by what happened in that instant that they froze in shock. As soon as they came to their senses, they tried to retreat and scatter.
But in an instant, a flying sword swept past.
"Puff--"
One person's eye socket was pierced directly, and the sword light pierced through the top of his head and flew out.
The other person was about to summon Defense Magic Item when his body stiffened as he was controlled by a Wood Elemental Spiritual Energy that had invaded his body.
"Oh no! Puppet Technique?"
His expression froze, his eyes widening in horror.
The next moment, a cold light sliced across, and a red line suddenly appeared above the bridge of the nose on the head.
Then half of his head slid off, and red and white sparks flew out.
"Thump--"
Both bodies fell into the sea.
Within three breaths, all three cultivators were killed.
The two rescued Tiandao Sect cultivators stood frozen in shock, staring in astonishment at the two powerful cultivators, a man and a woman, who appeared opposite them.
The man was muscular and had a fierce appearance, with a look of being brave and aggressive, and his eyes were bright and piercing.
The woman, on the other hand, was of average appearance, with long, narrow black eyes, an elegant and composed demeanor, and an air of understated confidence. She may not have been charming, but she possessed a captivating indifference, making her a woman worth savoring.
This man and woman are naturally Chen Dengming's Martial Immortal Clone and Heavenly Immortal Clone.
To conceal his true identity, Chen Dengming even went so far as to occasionally change the gender of his clone to that of a woman. This way, if he were to get into any trouble in the future, it would be much harder for him to be implicated.
"Thank you both so much for saving my life!"
The two Tiandao Sect disciples reacted and immediately bowed in gratitude. Just as they were about to continue speaking, Chen Dengming's Martial Immortal Clone raised his hand and pretended to be fierce.
"Alright, alright, no need to thank me. What are you still standing here for? Let's run!"
The two Tiandao Sect disciples were taken aback, and then they saw the aloof woman with an extraordinary temperament begin to quickly and skillfully clean up the scene, extracting souls, destroying evidence, and even sprinkling some potion that seemed to lure sea beasts. Her methods were ruthless and cruel.
The two men felt a chill run down their spines upon seeing this, and dared not disobey. Just as they were about to ask the two men's names so that they could repay them in the future, Chen Dengming controlled his clone to quickly drive them away.
"Run! Stop talking nonsense. Remember to escape eastward. Keep a low profile and don't reveal your overseas identity again."
The two Tiandao Sect disciples were somewhat confused, but they also sensed that the other party meant no harm, so they quickly fled.
After quickly dealing with the Battlefield and confirming that nothing was missed and that no recording Law Artifact such as Sound-Image Pearl were left at the scene, Chen Dengming immediately ordered his two clones to flee to more distant locations.
Along the way, the two clones either buried all the spoils in pits or stuffed them directly into the bellies of some sea fish, without taking a single penny, so as not to leave any hidden dangers by being greedy for small gains.
For him now, spirit crystals are not a problem for the time being, and he doesn't even look at the Foundation Establishment Realm Law Artifact and pills.
The only thing missing is a peaceful cultivation place with Spirit Vein.
He instructed two disciples of the Tiandao Sect to flee eastward, but did not directly remind them to go to the Water Cloud Island Kingdom. This was to prevent them from being caught or causing any further trouble, and to avoid bringing any danger to the disciples of the Longevity Sect there.
If these two are discreet and clever, and continue fleeing eastward, they will naturally have the opportunity to hear news about the Longevity Sect's presence in the Water Cloud Island Kingdom, and they will understand the meaning of his reminder today and go there on their own.
After a small cup of tea.
Chen Dengming's true form, riding Black Cloud Leopard whose fur had been dyed white, appeared near the sea area where he had previously controlled his clones in a fierce battle. He mingled among a group of onlookers, observing the situation from a distance.
The area where he had previously controlled his clones in battle was now sealed off by a group of the Wind Chime Sect cultivators, creating a tense atmosphere.
A dozen or so Wind Chime Sect cultivators and the owner of Wind Wave Auction House, all with grim expressions, were gathered on a spirit boat.
However, the area around the spirit boat was filled with the corpses of sea beasts attracted by the strange medicinal fragrance.
On the deck of the spirit boat lay several mutilated corpses, too badly shredded to be pieced together into human form.
"What a ruthless person! It seems they destroyed the body first, then attracted sea monsters to devour it, making it impossible to find any clues now."
A Foundation Establishment elder from the Wind Chime Sect, his face grim, looked at another black-clad elder with a chilling aura and inquired.
"Elder Ming, how is it?"
A look of apprehension crossed the old man's eyes as he stared at the corpses. A chill ran down his spine, and he felt as if a pair of sinister eyes were watching him from nearby.
He knew it was just his imagination, but the enemy's skill in this area was indeed terrifying. He immediately shook his head and said, "Even their soul was taken away. The person who did this is terrifying! Not someone to be trifled with."
These words weighed heavily on the hearts of the Foundation Establishment on the spirit ship.
In the distance, amidst the crowd, Chen Dengming withdrew his gaze, shook his head, and echoed the whispers and sighs of the people around him.
"Tragic, truly tragic! We strongly condemn the murderer!"
After saying this, he pulled down his straw hat, mounted the Bai Mao leopard, and quietly rode away.
It is said that after committing a crime, the perpetrator always likes to go back to the crime scene to observe the situation.
This kind of mentality is unacceptable; he'd better not give himself away.
Almost immediately after Chen Dengming left.
A powerful aura of a Golden Core cultivator rapidly emanated from the direction of the Wind Chime Sect, accompanied by a dazzling and oppressive Golden Light, which instantly appeared in the sky above the sea, drawing ever closer.
An uproar immediately broke out, and the Wind Chime Sect cultivators quickly bowed to welcome their ancestor.
"No one present may leave. They must undergo questioning by the Wind Chime Sect before they may depart!"
Suddenly, a majestic and unquestionable voice came from the Golden Core Ancestor Wind Chime Sect, who was emitting a faint light in the air.
Instantly, the crowd watching the spectacle below paled and erupted in uproar.
This is like someone who, while enjoying the gossip, ended up becoming the gossip themselves.
Some wanted to object, but faced with the terrifying spiritual power emanating from above and the sharp scrutinizing gaze, they dared neither be angry nor speak out, and could only cooperate and accept the inspection.
Chen Dengming, who had already gone far away, observed this situation with his Heavenly Eye and found it somewhat amusing.
He took a quick look at the commotion and then made a hasty escape, which seems to have been the right thing to do; he almost got himself caught up in the spectacle.
If this were discovered by a Golden Core Wind Chime Sect, and a fight broke out, even if he managed to escape, it would be difficult to conceal his identity, which would bring a lot of unnecessary trouble.
(Looks like I'll never get 100 votes today, shrug)