Profound Water Grotto was a solitary island piled high with jagged, grotesque rocks. Most of it lay underwater, with only a pitch-black cavern mouth rising above the surface, like a giant turtle opening its jaws to swallow and disgorge the tides.
"Senior brother, Spirit Rhinoceros Island changed hands yesterday, and its new masters are actually from the Tribulation Deliverance Sect. We..."
A Blue-Skirted Woman in the early Golden Core stage frowned, looking at her senior brother with a face full of worry.
The master of Profound Water Grotto was named Wang Mao, a cultivator dressed as a middle-aged scholar. Hearing his junior sister's words, he shook his head and said,
"We already joined the Abyssal Sea Alliance, and there are more than a dozen fellow cultivators in it. So long as we don't deliberately provoke the Tribulation Deliverance Sect, they probably won't invite trouble for themselves either."
"But senior brother, the very day they took over Spirit Rhinoceros Island, they sent people out to investigate everywhere. Even Daoist Feng on Southeastern White Spirit Island was alerted..."
Still deeply worried, the Blue-Skirted Woman said, "I heard that among the Tribulation Deliverance Disciples who arrived, there's one called Youxuan. Yesterday, he clashed with someone from the Heaven's Will Sect and severely wounded that True Person Chen without suffering so much as a scratch."
Wang Mao's gaze sharpened slightly.
He had heard of Chen Ziliang. His sword cultivation ranked among the best in the Golden Core realm, yet he had lost so decisively?
"Your concerns aren't unfounded, junior sister."
Wang Mao fell silent for a moment before saying, "The Duo'e demonic... profound sect has always ridden roughshod over others. Its disciples relish killing and greed, scheming for wealth and beauty. They might well come knocking for no reason. However..."
His tone shifted, and