Cloud Soaring Sect Arrives, an Unexpected Turn of Events

His gaze passed through the courtyard wall, swept over the cliffs, and fell from the mountain onto Spirit Terrace County near its foot.

Goose-feather snow blanketed heaven and earth. Everywhere the eye could see was a vast expanse of white, but Lu Qing also spotted several places where array fluctuations circulated, shutting out the snow and winter chill.

They were the arrays of several Foundation Establishment lineages. Lu Qing wasn't surprised that they possessed such springlike warmth.

He didn't continue probing deeper, instead turning his attention beyond the city walls.

The Spirit Terrace River had long since returned to its usual bustle. It didn't freeze, nor did white mist obstruct the view. Countless vessels—grand ships, small boats, fishing boats, and all manner of others—crossed its waters.

Suddenly, layer upon layer of snow-white ripples appeared across the river's surface, spreading from afar toward the near distance. They were the waves stirred up by the ships.

Farther away, at the point where the river and sky merged into one, several massive ships carrying an aura of slaughter were sailing over from the distance.

Lu Qing narrowed his eyes slightly. He saw several banners flying from those great ships, the three savage characters "Cloud Soaring Sect" swaying in the river wind.

Others might not know the truth, but as one who had experienced it firsthand, Lu Qing clearly understood the karmic ties behind this river.

That was why, after emerging from seclusion this time, he intended to learn what had happened over the past half month.

Thus, not only did his gaze turn in that direction, the sounds drifting over from there entered his ears as well.

The past half month hadn't been peaceful.

Yet by sheer coincidence, on the very first day after he emerged from seclusion, he seemed to have caught the scent of storm clouds gathering.

The moment he noticed those great ships, thoughts flashed continuously through his mind.

After learning where he would be stationed, Lu Qing had already memorized the major local powers of Spirit Prefecture.

Cloud Soaring Sect happened to be a cultivation sect of Spirit Prefecture, with its territory in New Peace Prefecture.

Why would Spirit Terrace County, such a small county town, draw the attention of this sect?

Moreover, Lu Qing's eyesight was excellent. With a single glance, he didn't continue investigating, because he sensed several especially extraordinary auras hidden within those ships.

Was a group like this, with such a clear objective, headed straight for Spirit Terrace County?

Or did they also know about the thing in the Spirit Terrace River?

As these thoughts flickered through his mind, his gaze had already swiftly withdrawn.

He wasn't worried. After he made his choice, the hexagram had vanished, proving that this matter wouldn't involve him.

Besides, he was somewhat curious. As for that Eerie thing, he had only guessed that it might be connected to the unknown old Dragon King.

Could the people of Cloud Soaring Sect know as well?

These thoughts passed through his mind. He didn't look over, nor did he send out his Divine Consciousness to spy, but perhaps because his Divine Soul had grown stronger, the range of sounds reaching his ears was broader than before.

The muffled sounds drifting to him didn't produce an Ominous Hexagram in his mind, indicating there was no danger. Lu Qing took a sip of tea and listened to the sounds carried by wind and water.

After skillfully filtering out some irrelevant noise,

human voices began to emerge as well.

On the Cloud Soaring Sect's ships, several figures clad in black ink-cloud robes appeared on deck. One leaned against the railing, his green eyeballs rolling ceaselessly as image after image flashed within them.

The others remained silent, waiting for news.

The green-eyed cultivator suddenly stiffened. "Can't find it..."

He clutched at his eyeballs, disbelief on his face.

"Impossible!"

"This is where the hexagram that monk spoke of pointed to. How could it not be here?"

"That's right, Old Seven. Could your eyeballs be broken?"

The other ink-cloud-robed cultivators didn't believe him.

A fat cultivator appeared. His movements were nimble despite his huge frame as he hurried up from below the grand ship. Upon seeing the cultivators, his massive body flopped onto the ground with a thud, making the deck tremble. His voice shook. "My lords!"

"Speak!" Old Two beside him swept a glance over the fat cultivator, recognizing him as one of the minor informants his subordinates had cultivated.

"Our people searched this place countless times, but we couldn't find that thing!"

"An Eerie incident occurred here half a month ago..."

A cultivator with a beard on only one side of his face—Old Three—impatiently interrupted him. "We told you to find something, not tell us Eerie tales!"

"It's a treasure! A treasure! Do you understand?! Don't use all that miscellaneous nonsense to explain yourself!"

The fat cultivator felt aggrieved. Didn't you say you wanted us to find every strange thing about this place?

And now you blame me for telling you about it.

"Enough, Old Three." A figure seated in a wheelchair emerged from among them.

He was no longer young, with a weathered face and half his hair white. He sat in the wheelchair, yet no one dared look at his legs.

He was the leader of this group of ink-cloud-robed cultivators.

Every one of them was at the Purple Mansion Realm, and their leader's cultivation aura was even more unfathomable.

They were the Cloud Soaring Sect's Seven True Disciples.

The seven had set out with several great ships, and it was no secret. Many knew that these seven were sworn brothers who often enjoyed leaving the sect to uphold justice and aid the weak.

"Old Seven, have you found it?"

After stopping the argument, he looked toward the green-eyed cultivator, Old Seven.

At that moment, Old Seven's hands continuously formed one spell seal after another, his lips moving in murmured incantation. His eerie green eyeballs rolled endlessly in their sockets, while countless scenes of Spirit Terrace County appeared one after another within them.

The others stared at Old Seven as well—or more accurately, at the scenes within his eyeballs.

"Found..." Old Seven had only uttered one word when his entire body suddenly convulsed. His body bent into the shape of a shrimp as he spat out a mouthful of heart's blood. His already withered, skeletal frame turned papery within moments.

His eyeballs bulged, countless veins protruding from his forehead. His expression was savage and terrifying. "It's not there...!"

Before he could finish the sentence, he suddenly went rigid.

"Old Seven!"

"Seventh Brother!"

The other cultivators' expressions changed drastically, and they all moved to save him.

Their leader even formed seals with both hands, using invisible Spiritual Power to halt Old Seven's divination.

Unfortunately, he failed.

In the span of a single breath, a skin pouch set with a pair of green eyeballs dropped to the ground.

The fat cultivator, who had quietly crawled on his knees toward a corner, happened to glimpse that scene from the corner of his eye. Terror surged through his heart.

Amitabha Buddha. He desperately formed Buddhist seals in his heart, sweat covering his forehead, terrified that this band of villains would silence him forever.

"Brother, how could you die just like that?!" With the outcome settled, someone wailed bitterly.

"Seventh Brother." Someone looked at that human skin pouch with a complicated expression.

"Seventh Brother, go well." Someone wore a grim expression as he lifted the skin pouch.

"Old Seven is dead. He saw something he shouldn't have seen."

The leader's voice remained calm.

A trace of coldness drifted through his eyes. "Old Seven used his death to divine for us. Since it isn't here, there's no need to waste our efforts in this place."

"Big Brother, that ox-nosed bastard deceived us! I'll make him pay blood for blood!"

Old Three's bloodshot eyes gleamed with savage light!

"That's right. That ox-nosed bastard is definitely no good. Don't think we don't know he wants a hand in this too! For all we know, he's already gone to where the treasure is!" Old Five was brimming with viciousness.

Inside Green Bamboo Courtyard.

Lu Qing set down his teacup. Only after those auras had gradually moved farther away did a trace of strangeness appear in his eyes.

He understood now. The thing those people were looking for was definitely connected to that piece of Blood Bone.