"Now, this is rather nice."
Chu Mo took out the Mutated Flood Dragon Pearl and examined it. The yin energy within remained as abundant as ever. What Mu Yun had consumed to reach level 4 was merely a hair off nine oxen-truly worthy of a second-tier Flood Dragon Pearl.
"I wonder if I could refine it into the Profound Scenery Refining Truth Banner?"
At the thought, he felt eager to try.
For some unknown reason, that Ink-Scaled Flood Dragon had mutated until it no longer resembled a water-aspect demonic beast at all. Even the Flood Dragon Pearl it had condensed was a superior Yin Type spiritual material.
Combined with that wisp of Myriad Forms Treasure Qi, it would surely enhance the Profound Banner's spirituality enormously if used to refine it.
Chu Mo eagerly anticipated the changes the Profound Banner might undergo. The steward at the Merit Hall had said that a spirit embryo possessed the potential to grow into a magical treasure.
"Once I return to the sect, I must put learning Artifact Refining on my agenda."
Selling the Flood Dragon Pearl outright would truly be a wanton waste of heaven's gifts. He had no idea when he might get his hands on another second-tier spiritual material.
Nor did he know whether High Person Zhou Huan had already gone to the other world, or whether High Person Yuanbai had emerged from seclusion...
The banner spirits watched Chu Mo ponder, not daring to interrupt. Under Mu Yun's "earnest instruction," they had long since carved their reverence for their lord deep into their soul bodies.
A moment later, Chu Mo came back to his senses. Seeing the concern in Mu Yun's eyes, he said, "All right, you can all withdraw for now."
With that, he waved the Profound Banner, and the banner spirits turned into streaks of spectral light, sinking back into it.
Chu Mo rose, patted his sleeves, and mounted his Spirit Cloud to fly toward the Thousand-Flow Sea. Whatever the situation within the sect, he still had a mission to complete.
In the days that followed, Chu Mo went out to sea every day to patrol and chart the waters.
Without his two teammates' assistance, progress naturally slowed considerably. Fortunately, they had largely completed the main portion during the first three months. Otherwise, he would probably have needed to work day and night to finish.
He certainly would not have had time to meditate and cultivate as he did now.
Amid this bustle, three months slipped quietly by, and the mission's deadline finally arrived. His cultivation also advanced naturally, breaking through to the sixth level of Qi Refining.
Chu Mo boarded the flying vessel back to the sect, while Island Master Xu remained in seclusion, recovering from his injuries. Clearly, he had been badly wounded this time.
Before leaving, Chu Mo made a point of checking the dungeon he had discovered by chance once more. Unfortunately, it remained unchanged, displaying "Not yet open."
Duo'e Sect, Cloudsea Hanging Mountain.
As a floating vessel stopped before the sect gates, Chu Mo slipped into the sect among the crowd. Upon reaching a secluded spot, he quietly mounted his Spirit Cloud and flew toward the North Cliff Market.
He wanted to ask the well-informed Senior Brother Luo Shan for news first, so he could ascertain the current situation.
The Immortal Peak where the North Cliff Market was held was not far from the sect gates. His Spirit Cloud arrived in just half an incense stick's time.
Just as Chu Mo had expected, Luo Shan had set up his stall and was hawking his wares, enthusiastically greeting the disciples passing by. Regardless of their cultivation, the smile never left his face.
"Senior Brother Luo," Chu Mo called as he approached, keeping his figure concealed.
Luo Shan looked up, and his eyes brightened at the sight of the visitor. "You again, junior brother."
Although the other man wore a black robe that concealed his figure, Luo Shan's years of practice in "reading people" allowed him to recognize this "valued customer" at a glance.
After all, straightforward customers who bought spells like the Life-Ending Curse-which was both expensive and useless within the sect-without even bargaining were rare.
"Have you come looking for more powerful spells, junior brother?" Luo Shan asked with a smile.
Chu Mo's lips moved slightly, but he made no sound, instead transmitting a message directly through his divine sense.
Upon hearing it, Luo Shan's smile remained unchanged. "Most people really wouldn't know the answer to that question, junior brother. Fortunately, I have plenty of connections and friends. However..."
He paused and held up three fingers.
Chu Mo swept his sleeve, and a small bag of Spell Coins silently appeared beneath the stall.
Luo Shan swept his divine sense over the money pouch, and his face immediately broke into a delighted smile. He transmitted, "You're wonderfully straightforward, junior brother. Since that's the case, I won't hold anything back.
"About a month ago, something went wrong in the small world the Upper Mound Commerce Association was attacking. They've now dispatched a large number of Foundation Establishment cultivators there,
"including High Persons Hong Xuan, Yun Yang, Red Rosy Clouds, and others... Even several Golden Core True Persons have gone."
Chu Mo nodded silently. Red Rosy Clouds was Zhou Huan's Daoist name. The situation was better than he had anticipated: Jiang Yunya's backer had indeed entered that world.
"In my opinion, it'll take the Upper Mound Commerce Association at least several years to settle the trouble in that small world." Luo Shan poured out everything he knew without concealing a thing.
He had to make sure his junior brother knew his information was absolutely worth the price. His thoughts turned, and he continued transmitting, "As for High Person Yuanbai of the Hezhen Society, he has indeed emerged from seclusion. I hear he successfully broke through his bottleneck..."
"Thank you, senior brother." Having obtained the news he wanted, Chu Mo felt much more at ease. After chatting with Luo Shan a little longer, he took his leave.
Watching the retreating figure, Luo Shan picked up the money pouch and weighed it in his hand, feeling equally pleased.
Chu Mo rode his Spirit Cloud toward the General Affairs Hall.
The hall was as crowded and noisy as ever. He headed straight to the External Affairs Hall, took out his Identity Token, and submitted both the sea-chart scroll and the jade slip recording his unusual discoveries.
Naturally, he omitted the undersea dungeon and mentioned only the information concerning the Mutated Black-Scaled Flood Dragon.
After inspecting everything and confirming that it was in order, the steward disciple took out two hundred Spell Coins and handed them over. As for the other two people listed in the mission record...
Ending up in a banner counted as failure, so the surviving member naturally received the entire mission reward.
"Next," the steward disciple called expressionlessly.
Hearing this, Chu Mo put away his reward and token, turned, and left the General Affairs Hall. He mounted his Spirit Cloud and flew toward his Cave Abode.
The cloud passed among the endless Immortal Peaks, fierce winds whipping around it.
Chu Mo's thoughts, however, were not on the scenery along the way. Jiang Yunya... The name circled in his mind.
Should I seize this opportunity to kill Jiang Yunya outright and eradicate future trouble once and for all? As long as I use the Mind-Cleansing Mantra diligently, no one will ever discover that I did it.
He had already experienced the Life-Ending Curse's power. If handled properly, it could definitely blast Jiang Yunya to death. After all, Jiang Yunya did not possess Lu Xiuyuan's bizarre luck, with an Ink-Scaled Flood Dragon taking the hit for him at a critical moment.
As the saying went, if others did not offend him, he would not offend them; if they did, he would cut down the weeds and pull out the roots.
This scoundrel had plotted against him repeatedly, first luring him into Liu Xian's trap, then forcing him to become an undercover agent who might lose his life at any moment. He had already courted death!
Now that Zhou Huan was stuck in another world and could not return anytime soon, this was a heaven-sent opportunity.
If he missed this chance, once Zhou Huan returned, with a Foundation Establishment High Person constantly watching, making a move would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.
As he pondered, a vicious gleam surfaced in Chu Mo's eyes.
Jiang Yunya is still a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, after all. I can't act rashly... He suppressed the urge to act immediately and resolved to plan carefully.
As countless thoughts turned through his mind, the Spirit Cloud reached its destination.
Chu Mo landed before the entrance to his Cave Abode. The stone door was tightly shut, and the wards were intact, exactly as he had left them.
Yet the instant he removed the Cave Abode's wards and stepped inside, a voice rang out in his mind:
"Boy, come see me."