Inside his cave abode on Purple Sky Peak, Han Li suspended the unfinished Water-Magnetic Sword above the spirit spring. The blade's azure radiance resonated with the spring water, filling the chamber with shimmering ripples of light.
Zi Ling sat opposite him, lightly tapping the spine of the sword with the Star-Illusion Maze Formation Flag held between her fingers. The flag's star patterns intertwined with the blade's magnetic patterns, correcting the formation's final trace of deviation. The outpost's coordinates had already been marked on the star chart. She took out a blood-colored Jade Slip. "The Grand Elder said Black Stone Reef is the first outer outpost. It's near Soul-Severing Strait, where sea bandits often roam, providing cover."
Han Li took the Jade Slip and swept his spiritual sense through it-Black Stone Reef was a deserted island in the southwestern Chaotic Star Sea. Its reefs were dark red, and their resemblance to a crouching tiger had earned it the name Crouching Tiger Reef. After the Blood Lotus Cult occupied it, they renamed it Black Stone Reef.
Three watchtowers stood on the island, and half a Blood Soul Banner was enshrined on the central altar. The outpost's leader, Blood Fang, was a core formation middle stage cultivator with more than twenty core formation early stage cultists under his command. They frequently traded blood-fiend materials with the sea bandits of Black Wind Stronghold.
[System notification: Main quest "Secretly investigate the Blood Lotus Cult's outer outposts" activated. Target: Black Stone Reef outpost. Method: Infiltration in disguise + intelligence gathering.]
Three days later, the star-patterned merchant ship prepared by the Cloud-Chasing Guards quietly left port. Big Dipper Star Patterns covered its hull, and its sails were made from Star-Illusion Maze Formation cloth, which could block spiritual power detection. Han Li and Zi Ling posed