Zhenhai City!
A grand war fortress stood towering at the river estuary along the coast of the Eastern Sea, built specifically to resist the coastal incursions of demon beasts.
It had not been constructed against the graceful contours of rolling mountains. Instead, it was forged from the coldest, unimaginably heavy black sinking stone, cast together with magma from a volcano on the Tiannan Continent that erupted year-round.
The city walls stretched like an ancient dragon's spine, spanning hundreds of li without beginning or end, forcefully carving out a foothold from the treacherous seas!
The walls were so tall that looking up to their crest almost strained one's neck to breaking. Arrayed atop them were Tianyuan Spiritual Energy Cannons, their pitch-black muzzles looking capable of annihilating anything in their path.
Down below were nine colossal gates known as the Zhenhai Sluicegates. Each one was dozens of zhang thick, bristling with rugged, menacing barbs and glowing with the perilous light of warding formations. Layered one behind another, these Zhenhai Sluicegates not only enveloped Zhenhai City in protection, but also prevented hordes of low-tier sea demons from surging upstream from the estuary into the interior.
Having drunk throughout the night, Zhou Fuyou made his way through Zhenhai City's checkpoints. Watching the Zhenhai Sluicegates rise and fall to let them pass, awe filled his heart.
Beside him, Second Senior Brother Fu Bin noticed his expression and chuckled. "Junior Brother, you seem quite astonished?"
Accustomed to inland metropolises defined by resplendent elegance or solemn, ancient grandeur, Zhou Fuyou indeed could not conceal his astonishment when confronted with Zhenhai City, a monstrous behemoth bred for war.
He praised, "Truly a magnificent city! It is entirely different from the graceful style of our Tianyuan Dao Sect!"
"Then you are mistaken, Junior Brother." Fu Bin let out a hearty laugh, speaking with open pride. "Three thousand years ago, our Tianyuan Dao Sect was the only Soul Formation sacred ground across the five continents to purge every demon beast. Three thousand years later, our Tianyuan Dao Sect launched campaigns across four continents to unite the mountains and seas. When it comes to martial spirit and unyielding iron blood, who under the heavens could compare to our Tianyuan Dao Sect?"
He referred repeatedly to "our Tianyuan Dao Sect," his tone suffused with pride and reverence.
Not only Zhou Fuyou, but even the Foundation Establishment True Cultivators nearby felt deeply inspired.
"Glory to our Tianyuan!"
They, too, were disciples of the Dao Sect!
When another sluicegate opened to grant passage, Zhou Fuyou flew through, skimming low above the waterway.
He asked curiously, "True Person Wen departed in such a hurry early this morning, and you immediately ordered us to the battlefield, Second Senior Brother. Did something happen?"
His smile fading, Fu Bin turned solemn.
"Something did happen. Word is that a massive battle broke out in the sea last night at an exceptionally high level—definitely at the Nascent Soul stage."
At these words, Zhou Fuyou and the surrounding Foundation Establishment True Cultivators paled.
"A fourth-rank Demon Emperor took part?"
At the peak of the Tianyuan Dao Sect, demon beasts near the Central Plains had been virtually extinct, leaving no room for demonic disasters.
Yet with the great catastrophe of the Central Plains, when the continent fractured into pieces, demon beasts that had remained dormant for years began reappearing one after another.
Over the past several decades, matters had remained manageable, consisting mostly of low-tier first- and second-rank demon beasts.
In recent years, however, numerous third-rank Demon Kings had successively emerged.
And now, even a fourth-rank Demon Emperor had entered the fray!
How could they not be stunned?
Fu Bin said in a heavy voice, "That should be the case; otherwise, True Person Wen would not have left in such a hurry. He oversees Zhenhai City. Though several other formidable fortresses line the coast, Zhenhai City is beyond doubt the most crucial of all, and it cannot be allowed to fall. Thus, he must investigate the exact situation."
"Then what about us?"
"No need to worry. Demon Emperor-tier entities will naturally be handled by Nascent Soul True Persons. Our objective is to seal off areas outside the estuary and ensure certain array formations remain undamaged."
Fu Bin gave a brief explanation, easing everyone's worries slightly.
Rumble!
Yet another Zhenhai Sluicegate opened, and the elites from the Four Imperials Hall of the Tiannan Dao Palace seized the opportunity to fly through.
Fu Bin cast his gaze across the rear, then said to Zhou Fuyou, "Junior Brother, I have already assigned your team. Once we leave the city, you will lead them to patrol the eight-hundred-li radius of Mount Liubo."
Zhou Fuyou had reviewed coastal maps beforehand and knew roughly where Mount Liubo lay.
Having identified his assignment, he asked about the specifics.
"Relying solely on our twenty people?"
This time, the Four Imperials Hall had mobilized a total of four hundred Foundation Establishment True Cultivators and twenty Golden Core Masters. The Golden Core Masters each led a company, forming twenty large companies in total. Within each company, members were divided into five squads of four.
Altogether, that amounted to one hundred squads.
Fu Bin shook his head. "Mount Liubo is so vast; naturally, it cannot depend on just the twenty of you. Under normal circumstances, cultivators stationed there from various families form the true backbone. You are a mobile force meant to provide reinforcement wherever an emergency arises."
Zhou Fuyou understood.
Such an arrangement offered far greater freedom and provided better training for the Dao Palace's geniuses to act independently, proving far more effective than rigid, scripted duties.
"Alright, the ninth gate is about to open, which means leaving Zhenhai City entirely. Out there, while slaying demons to earn merits, do not forget to keep yourselves safe."
After offering this reminder, Fu Bin accelerated and shot toward the very front.
As the ninth gate opened like a parting mountain, the Dao Palace geniuses streaked outward like falling stars in all directions.
Zhou Fuyou glanced back at the ninth gate. Unlike the plain, solid gates preceding it, this one was coated in slimy mucus and shredded debris, reeking of blood. Clearly, these were the remains left behind by countless low-tier demon beasts that had battered themselves against Zhenhai City.
His gaze gradually settled on the hundred Foundation Establishment True Cultivators following behind him.
Among them were several familiar faces—or rather, kin.
Zhou Yuwei, Zhou Yuhao, Zhou Yuqi, and his cousin Lin Qingtong.
They were all disciples who had succeeded in Foundation Establishment over the years and had also entered Houtu Hall.
Second Senior Brother had assigned them to his unit to make it convenient for Zhou Fuyou to look after them.
Sensing Zhou Fuyou's gaze, the crowd stirred slightly.
Zhou Fuyou's lips parted, and he uttered two words:
"Let's go!"
***
Mount Liubo lay a hundred li from the sea.
The mountain rose sheer and tall, gathering dense clouds. Whenever the sea breeze blew past, rolling swathes of mist surged like ocean waves.
Hence its name: Mount Liubo, the Mountain of Flowing Waves!
Zhou Fuyou's arrival was met with a grand reception from the leaders stationed upon the mountain.
A full six Golden Core Masters came out together to welcome him. Such respect demonstrated the high standing of the Tiannan Dao Palace's geniuses.
Leading them was a Great Cultivator of the late Golden Core stage named Jidu, who hailed from a modest clan.
After warmly receiving Zhou Fuyou, he began outlining the specific situation of Mount Liubo.
Spanning eight hundred li, the terrain was vast and rugged.
Though relatively close to the sea, its natural defenses made it easy to hold and difficult to assault.
A total of six Golden Cores and over ten thousand low-tier cultivators guarded it together.
As Zhou Fuyou listened to the explanation, he took in the details of Mount Liubo.
He noticed that the cultivators here wore diverse attire, bearing distinct clan insignias.
*It seems that just like my Zhou family back then, these are cultivators dispatched by various families across the Tiannan Continent to fulfill sea-patrol duties.*
Zhou Fuyou thought of his parents, who had perished while carrying out precisely this kind of assignment.
Suddenly!
Zhou Fuyou halted at the mountain foot, where a light barrier from a warding formation hung in place.
"What is this place?"
Master Jidu spread his hands. "I do not know. Zhenhai City forbade us from interfering with these matters, telling us only to guard Mount Liubo well."
Zhou Fuyou's brow furrowed. "Since this is territory under our protection, how can there be something whose origins remain unknown to us?"
He reached out and touched the barrier.
Yet upon contact, the barrier felt exceptionally tough, refusing to yield even an inch.
Zhou Fuyou let out a soft snort. The magic power within him shifted abruptly, and a wisp of black vapor coiled around his fingertips.
*Sizzle, sizzle...*
Beside him, Master Jidu's expression shifted slightly. As a dignified late Golden Core Great Cultivator, he unexpectedly felt a trace of danger from the young lad before him.
What was that black vapor?
Just as Zhou Fuyou was about to breach the formation, the barrier suddenly split open into an aperture wide enough for one person, and a figure stepped out.
With a single glare, he fixed both of them with a fierce stare.
"Did you not receive orders from Zhenhai City? You are forbidden from interfering with local formations—your only duty is to guard the area!"
Jidu seemed to recognize the man and said hurriedly, "Senior Brother, our apologies. Fellow Daoist Zhou is mobile support who has just arrived; he is not yet familiar with these matters."
Zhou Fuyou raised an eyebrow. He recalled that before leaving Zhenhai City, Second Senior Brother had briefly mentioned guarding certain local formations.
Were these the ones?
He took a step back and withdrew his magic power.
"Junior Brother Zhou Fuyou greets Senior Brother!"
The man's eyes brightened. "Are you Zhou Fuyou of the Tiannan Dao Palace?"
"Indeed!"
"So it is Junior Brother Zhou. I am Lian Yuanshan. Let us converse more when we have time. As for today, ignorance is no crime; just be more cautious in the future."
After a brief greeting, Lian Yuanshan retreated back inside the formation.
The atmosphere cooled, leaving only the slow pulses of spiritual qi from the formation's barrier.
"Let us be on our way," Jidu said in an undertone, seemingly wary of disturbing whoever was inside.
Zhou Fuyou murmured an affirmative and followed behind.
Only after putting some distance between them did he voice his confusion.
"Master Jidu, your cultivation realm is far higher than that of Senior Brother Lian Yuanshan. Why did you address him with such deference?"
Master Jidu sighed helplessly. "He is a true disciple of the Dao Sect from the Lanke Mountain Range. How can ordinary family cultivators like us—who belong to the Tianyuan Dao Sect in name only and have never set foot on Mount Lanke—compare to him?"
Zhou Fuyou paused, then swiftly understood.
No wonder the man's attitude had softened immediately upon confirming he hailed from the Tiannan Dao Palace.
The Tiannan Dao Palace was part of the Tianyuan Dao Sect, making the disciples of its Four Halls disciples of the Dao Sect as well. Moreover, a talent like him was practically guaranteed to enter the ancestral grounds of the Lanke Mountain Range in the future and become a true disciple of the Dao Sect!
That greeting of "Junior Brother Zhou" had been entirely sincere, without a shred of pretense!
Master Jidu shifted the topic. "Besides, did you not see his family crest?"
Zhou Fuyou recalled the brief glimpse he had caught of the emblem—merely several undulating wave lines linked together, yet somehow carrying a hint of Daoist resonance.
That crest...
Realization struck Zhou Fuyou.
In the past, the Central Plains had been home to thousands of families great and small, each bearing a unique emblem.
No one went out of their way to memorize all of them.
Only twelve crests were recorded in classical texts, committed to memory by everyone as a matter of course.
For those twelve crests represented the lofty, dominant forces that had always steered the Tianyuan Dao Sect.
The Twelve Great Houses!
And the emblem with interlocking wave lines was one of them.
Zhou Fuyou blurted out, "Lian Yuanshan... the Lian family!"
Master Jidu spread his hands. "Indeed. The Lian family of the Twelve Great Houses—the very clan of our Dao Sect's Ancestor Liancheng!"
No wonder Master Jidu had shown such humble deference toward someone whose cultivation was far beneath his own.
Zhou Fuyou looked back toward the site of the formation.
Releasing his divine sense downward, he drove it deep into the roots of Mount Liubo with persistent force.
Within the earth veins, array lines stretched out like deep ravines.
The entirety of Mount Liubo rested atop them, and those array lines showed clear signs of expanding further outward.
A contemplative look entered Zhou Fuyou's eyes. *What we are meant to guard likely is not Mount Liubo, but these secretly arranged formations!*
***
Far across the boundless sea, dark clouds gradually dispersed.
A burly figure wielding an azure trident stood atop the ocean surface. Looking up at the parting clouds, he let out a furious roar as if venting his wrath.
Agitated by the sound, the surrounding waters erupted, churning like a boiling tsunami.
He cast resentful glances to his left and right before calling off the chase and returning to his undersea palace.
Inside, the clam maidens continued their singing, and merfolk danced merrily.
Within the grand hall, the black dragon was still heartily drinking Qianlan Ice Wine, reveling in the melodious singing and graceful dancing.
"Sebo, how did it go? Did you catch the one spying on you?"
Sebo stowed his trident and snorted coldly. "Fell short at the final step."
The black dragon raised its head, its whiskers swaying in evident surprise.
"You belong to the Sea-Patrolling Yaksha clan. In the ocean, your magic power is boundless. If even you could not capture the intruder in person, could that fellow truly be that formidable?"
Anger crossed Sebo's face. "She was equally adept at water manipulation—and a demon ghost to boot, slippery as an eel."
The black dragon blinked. "A demon ghost?"
"Yes!" Sebo nodded. "Her true form appeared to be a massive python, but after I shattered it, I discovered it was formed entirely from pure ghostly qi. She is, in truth, a fourth-rank Ghost Emperor. This emperor failed to notice at first, allowing her to rely on the ethereal, formless nature of her ghostly body to narrowly evade my strongest strike."
A giant python?
A Ghost Emperor?
A glimmer of bewilderment flashed through the black dragon's eyes.
"More importantly, that old fellow from Zhenhai City showed up, forcing me to break off the pursuit."
Sebo slammed a hand onto the table.
"We cannot wait any longer. Now that the old fellow knows we are here, their defenses will only tighten. We must strike ahead of schedule!"
"Fine by me!" the black dragon replied nonchalantly. "Since my master sent me here, it was to contribute my strength. Give the order whenever you please!"
Sebo took a deep breath. "Zhenhai City may appear heavily fortified, but in truth, it has only one Nascent Soul True Person. We have three Demon Emperors on our side, plus yourself—taking it down will pose no problem. Originally, I wished to wait for a few more reinforcements before charging straight into the inland, but now we must act early. Shortly, I will contact the other two Daoists to launch a three-pronged assault on Zhenhai City. You will slip past from the direction of Mount Liubo and use your desolate beast physique to smash through the nine gates, allowing the children of my clan to swarm into Zhenhai City at will!"
He turned his gaze toward the black dragon.
"Can you manage that?"
The black dragon peeled open its bloody maw. "Relax. A trivial matter!"
***
High above, dark clouds gathered, dispersed, and gathered anew.
Amidst flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder, a beam of spectral light descended onto a small island alongside a lightning bolt.
The spectral glow condensed into the graceful figure of Xiao Bai.
Exhaling a breath of turbid air, a lingering look of fear appeared on her face.
"A mid-stage fourth-rank Demon Emperor, and from the troublesome Sea-Patrolling Yakshas no less. I nearly fell into his hands."
Amidst her relief, Xiao Bai recalled what she had discovered earlier, her expression wavering with hesitation.
A moment later, however, her gaze turned resolute.
"There's no mistaking it. That wine-guzzling fellow is none other than the Black King!"
With that thought, Xiao Bai retrieved a jade token and sent a detailed voice transmission into it.
Her very first sentence was:
"Master, the Black King has appeared!"
Chapter 1047