A deserted island at sea

"Rumble!"

The hundred-zhang-long flaming greatsword slashed savagely through empty air and struck the turbulent sea below.

The violent power of fire erupted instantly, evaporating the seawater for several li around and sending white mist billowing into the sky.

A massive trench, a hundred zhang deep and several li long, was cleaved into the sea and would not close for a long time.

Yet the grand elder stood frozen in midair, his face full of disbelief.

"Where did they go?!"

His vast spiritual sense swept out like a storm, meticulously searching the sea, sky, and even the seabed within a hundred li several times over.

Nothing!

There was nothing!

There was no trace of Qin Chen's aura, no trace of that bizarre white cat's aura-not even a lingering ripple in space!

It was as though they had never appeared in this world at all!

"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

The grand elder roared frantically, his eyes bloodshot.

How could a living person and a massive demonic beast vanish into thin air without a trace, right under his nose?!

Even a Void Insight realm expert proficient in spatial arts would leave obvious spatial fluctuations when teleporting.

Yet now, there was nothing!

"Could it be... the legendary Void Traversal?!"

A terrifying thought suddenly flashed through the grand elder's mind, instantly drenching him in cold sweat.

Void Traversal was a heaven-defying divine ability that only those legendary divine beasts or peerless experts who had mastered spatial laws could perform!

Just what kind of monster was that white cat?!

And just what was that young man's background?!

The grand elder stared blankly at the empty sea, his heart filled with unprecedented fear and helplessness.

He knew that this time, he had probably truly provoked a terrifying existence beyond imagination.

Meanwhile, in the sky above an unknown stretch of sea tens of thousands of li from Penglai Immortal Island.

"Hum-"

Ripples suddenly spread through the void, and then a white beast several zhang long appeared out of thin air.

"Urgh..."

The moment Xiaobai appeared, the cat opened its great maw and spat Qin Chen out.

Qin Chen steadied himself in midair, looked at the unfamiliar waters around him, and let out a long breath.

"Well done, Xiaobai."

Qin Chen reached out and stroked Xiaobai's furry head, his eyes full of approval.

The Void Beast's innate divine ability, "Crossing the Void," truly lived up to its reputation.

Not only was it extraordinarily fast, but it also ignored all formations and barriers and could even conceal spatial fluctuations perfectly. It was simply an unparalleled weapon for escape and assassination.

"Meow~"

Xiaobai affectionately nuzzled Qin Chen's palm, then rapidly shrank, turning back into that small, adorable white cat before burrowing into Qin Chen's arms and falling into a deep sleep.

Using "Crossing the Void" took an enormous toll on Xiaobai, and the cat needed a good stretch of rest to recover.

Qin Chen looked around and found himself in completely unfamiliar waters. The spiritual energy was even thinner here than on Penglai Immortal Island; clearly, he was already far from the cultivation world's bustling regions.

"Looks like I need to find somewhere to settle down first and figure out where I am."

Qin Chen checked his bearings, turned into a streak of light, and flew toward a deserted island in the distance.

Qin Chen landed on the deserted island. It was small, only a dozen or so li across, with jagged rocks everywhere and not a blade of grass growing. The spiritual energy was pitifully thin, almost no different from the Mortal Realm.

"Even a demonic beast couldn't be bothered to stay here."

Qin Chen shook his head, though he did not particularly mind.

What he needed most now was a quiet place to sort through the gains from his trip to Penglai Immortal Island and lie low for a while.

The Liu Family had lost a young master and more than a dozen Golden Core elites; they would certainly not let the matter rest. Though Xiaobai's "Crossing the Void" had left no traces, a careful hand at the helm kept a ship sailing for ten thousand years.

He found a secluded cave in the center of the island, casually set up a simple concealment formation and a defensive formation, then sat down cross-legged.

"Let's see what good things that old fellow had in his Storage Ring first."

Qin Chen took an antique-looking ring from inside his robes. It was the very one he had pocketed when he killed that late Golden Core stage cultivator from the Liu Family.

Though he had failed to get Young Master Liu's Storage Ring, the entire fortune of a late Golden Core stage cultivator presumably would not be too meager.

His powerful spiritual sense forcibly broke through the restrictions on the ring, and Qin Chen dumped everything inside out in one go.

Clatter-

A heap of Low-Grade Spirit Stones formed a small mountain, numbering over a hundred thousand by a rough estimate.

Beside them were several hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, giving off even richer spiritual energy.

"Passable." Qin Chen curled his lip. For someone cultivating the heavenly cycle star body, these few spirit stones were not even enough to fill the gaps between his teeth.

The energy he now needed to ignite a single speck of miniature stardust was immense, and the conversion rate of ordinary spirit stones was far too low.

Besides the spirit stones, there were several magical treasures, mostly Mid-Grade Spiritual Artifacts. Only one flying sword was a High-Grade Spiritual Artifact.

Qin Chen tossed them aside without even looking.

All that remained were some jade slips, pills, and miscellaneous items.

Qin Chen picked up several jade slips and extended his spiritual sense into them.

"'Blazing Fire Art'? A trash cultivation art."

"'Liu Clan Swordsmanship'? Riddled with openings."

"'Eastern Sea Chart'?"

Qin Chen's eyes lit up. This was exactly what he needed most right now.

He examined the chart carefully and found it quite detailed. It marked not only Penglai Immortal Island and the hundreds of surrounding islands, large and small, but also some dangerous waters, demonic beast gathering grounds, and marketplaces and sects established by cultivators.

"My current location..." Qin Chen compared the surrounding terrain with the chart's markings and soon determined his position. "This is the edge of the Chaotic Star Sea."

The Chaotic Star Sea lay deep within the Eastern Sea, an exceedingly vast and dangerous stretch of water.

Countless islands dotted it like stars in the sky and pieces on a game board. Spiritual energy raged wildly, demonic beasts ran rampant, and there were even many ancient ruins and spatial rifts.

Because of the harsh environment, very few cultivation sects established themselves here. Most who came were independent cultivators, desperate outlaws, or adventurers who came specifically to hunt demonic beasts and seek opportunities.

"The Chaotic Star Sea... not a bad place."

A faint smile curved Qin Chen's lips.

What he lacked most now was resources, and though the Chaotic Star Sea was dangerous, it also meant opportunities.

The inner cores and flesh of those high-tier demonic beasts, along with any natural treasures that might exist in the ancient ruins, were all excellent nourishment for cultivating his heavenly cycle star body.

More importantly, this place was chaotic enough, and the Liu Family's reach did not extend this far.

Having decided on his next goal, Qin Chen put away the chart and turned his gaze to the last few bottles of pills.

"Qi Recovery Pills, Healing Pills... all ordinary stuff."

Qin Chen shook his head in disappointment and was just about to put the pills away when his gaze suddenly fixed on an inconspicuous black jade bottle.