Perched atop the crown of a tall sal tree, Luo Chen gazed out toward the distant horizon.
This was already the Xintian Sea Region.
From here, flying at full tilt, one could reach the Flying Swallow Archipelago in a mere two to three days.
The main reason he had halted here was that when he had originally been teleported across from Mount Cangwu all those years ago, this was where he had landed.
After all these years, he wondered what had become of that teleportation array, of which he had destroyed a corner.
"Do you want to go back and take a look?" a voice sounded in his ear.
Luo Chen's expression remained calm, and he slowly shook his head.
He was no criminal fond of returning to the scene of the crime to admire his handiwork, only to be caught red-handed.
Though he truly was curious about the state of that teleportation array, he suppressed the urge.
His gaze slowly lowered.
"I plan to wait here for a few days."
"Wait?" Han Zhan asked, puzzled. After a brief moment of thought, he remarked contemplatively, "Are you worried there might be an ambush lying in wait for you in the Flying Swallow Archipelago?"
Luo Chen nodded.
That was precisely what he was thinking.
Though the Flying Swallow Archipelago served as his stronghold, before his arrival it had nominally belonged to the Righteous Canghai Alliance, ruled by the rogue cultivator Yan Nantian.
He had slain Yan Nantian, and now that over a decade had passed, there was no guarantee the Canghai Alliance would not send someone to investigate.
If they took offense at what he had done and laid an ambush waiting for him to walk right into their net, things would become troublesome.
Furthermore, Wu Qi of the Moluo Stream had paid him a visit once before. After failing to recruit him into the Moluo Stream, who knew whether there had been any subsequent developments?
Six years had gone by!
The ten-year deadline Wu Qi had mentioned was drawing near, and incidents could easily crop up.
Therefore, he planned to send someone ahead to scout out the situation.
"Tianxuan!"
"What are Master's orders?"
"Follow the directions inside this jade token and go scout those islands. Remember not to land on them. There is a grand array across the islands; if it is driven to full power, you will be no match for it..."
The Flying Swallow Archipelago possessed the linked-island array formation method passed down by the Canghai Alliance, which Luo Chen had once observed.
When unleashed with all its might, its power was formidable indeed; demon beasts ignorant of array formations could easily be slain by it, even if they were an entire major realm higher.
Thus, he only ordered Tianxuan to circle the vicinity of the Flying Swallow Archipelago for a single day.
Spending a whole day circling without the slightest concealment—if there truly were Core Formation or higher experts lying in ambush on the islands, they would surely act in person to drive Tianxuan away or slay it.
Should that happen, Luo Chen would immediately sense it. By then, he naturally would not walk straight into the trap.
Having received its orders, Tianxuan flapped its wings and flew toward the Flying Swallow Archipelago.
Luo Chen descended, pressed his fingers together like a sword toward the trunk of the lush, towering sal tree, and channeled his magic power.
With magic power surging and withdrawing, he swiftly gouged out a large cavity in the tree trunk.
He stepped inside unhurriedly and waited quietly.
Although demon beasts were numerous in the Xintian Sea Region, marine demons were not the primary inhabitants; instead, a flock of albatrosses nested here.
These demon beasts possessed a gentle temperament and generally would not attack humans unless provoked. Of course, if one truly crossed them, a flock of albatrosses was nothing to trifle with either.
After retreating into the tree hollow, Luo Chen was far from idle.
From his storage ring, he retrieved that pearl.
This was the true body left behind by that Hidden Dust Sand named Yuan Yin.
In his years since arriving in the Northern Sea, Luo Chen had never abandoned his habit of reading books, so he possessed a solid understanding of the common materials in this cultivation world.
Hidden Dust Sand was also known as pearl demons or siren seeds.
Though classified as demon beasts, in essence they were "stone spirits."
Much like naturally born spiritual entities such as wood spirits and fire spirits, they fundamentally had no flesh-and-blood bodies, achieving the Dao as special living beings.
The primary reason they were referred to as "demons" was that their birth of sapience and their path of cultivation relied on parasitizing the flesh and blood of shellfish demon beasts such as giant clams, colossal mussels, and oysters—hence the name.
This material was exceedingly common across the vast Northern Sea.
Even robust mortal martial artists could dive into the sea to search for Tier 1 Hidden Dust Sand.
After all, this creature possessed practically no combat strength. At Tier 1 or Tier 2, they could only conceal themselves; once discovered, they were entirely at the mercy of others.
That was a digression.
Because it was so common, its uses had long been thoroughly mapped out.
It could be used in medicine, artifact forging, array setting, and talisman crafting, or even ground into powder and scattered into spiritual soil to nurture spirit plants.
Its breadth of applications was practically unmatched among materials!
Luo Chen did hold one or two pill recipes that called for Hidden Dust Sand, but their grades were very low.
What was more:
"This Hidden Dust Sand is at consummate Tier 3. Even in the largest merchant houses, it would be a top-grade hot commodity, outshining ordinary Tier 4 materials by far.
"If I were to use it merely to refine low-tier pills, it would be a heinous waste of heaven's treasures."
Looking at the Hidden Dust Sand, Luo Chen felt rather helpless for a time.
Holding a supreme treasure with no fitting use was truly a sweet vexation.
"Senior Han, do you have any suitable methods to make use of this Hidden Dust Sand?"
From within the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, Han Zhan grunted, "My knowledge of this demon is shallow, limited merely to recognizing it. If you ask me how to use it, I really have no idea."
Luo Chen furrowed his brows and could only put away this near-flawless Hidden Dust Sand for the time being.
In the future, when exchanging insights with fellow Core Formation cultivators in the Northern Sea, perhaps they would possess better ways to employ it.
At worst, he would forge the thing into a magic treasure!
The technique the demon had unleashed before dying was somewhat reminiscent of the Waste Jade Marrow Pearls Luo Chen had used back during the Qi Refining stage. If he used Hidden Dust Sand of this quality to forge a magic treasure, its might would surely not be low.
***
The Flying Swallow Archipelago!
This remote region, after weathering several bouts of turmoil, had finally enjoyed a fleeting peace following the arrival of Demonic Lord Qingyang.
Beneath that calm, however, lurked the seeds of trouble.
To exchange for Demonic Lord Qingyang's Core Formation Secret Technique, the various clans had spent their resources like madmen.
It was manageable over a short span, but as time dragged on, several clans could barely sustain the drain.
Demonic Lord Qingyang's appetite in particular was staggering, resembling a bottomless pit; none of them could fathom why a single Core Formation cultivator needed to consume so many resources for his cultivation.
They had never heard of any other Core Formation cultivator burning through resources at such a rate!
Fortunately, those frenzied expenditures had gradually cooled down after Demonic Lord Qingyang departed six years ago.
With the lord himself absent, no amount of currying favor would accomplish anything.
And precisely because of that, the Flying Swallow Archipelago had enjoyed six peaceful years.
Yet this peace had been shattered in recent days.
A Demon King-grade Tianxuan Battle Gull had somehow wandered into this sea domain. Seemingly taking a liking to the Flying Swallow Archipelago, it lingered nearby, circling relentlessly without leaving.
As the Demon King's aura permeated the air, the cultivators of the archipelago were on high alert as if facing a mortal threat.
The leaders of the various clans had even reached an immediate consensus to activate the island protection array.
The moment that Tianxuan Battle Gull attempted to land, they would eradicate it without mercy!
Bizarrely, however, the Tianxuan Battle Gull possessed remarkable intelligence; it only circled outside the perimeter lap after lap, refusing to come ashore.
Because the creature was blindingly fast, the archipelago's cultivators dared not actively trigger the array's lethal strikes. If they failed to kill the beast and only enraged it, disaster would follow.
On Black Swan Island.
Over thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators gathered in a single hall, discussing the current dilemma.
"That bird demon has been circling for nearly a day. What on earth does it want?"
"Could there be something in our territory that attracts it?"
"Unlikely! The Flying Swallow Archipelago is impoverished in resources; only a single Tier 3 spirit vein is worth mentioning. But that spiritual land was concealed by Master Qingyang's array to prevent spiritual energy from leaking out. A Demon King like this shouldn't be able to detect it."
"Then what does it want? It neither advances nor retreats, hovering outside and glaring hungrily."
Amid the heated discussion, an elderly, prudent cultivator turned his gaze toward the woman in palace dress seated in the main seat.
"Fairy Yaoyue, what do you think we should do?"
Among the clan heads, Fairy Yaoyue was considered an up-and-coming talent.
Yet none dared underestimate her.
Apart from the terrifying talent that had allowed her to reach the fifth level of Foundation Establishment in just over a decade since breaking through, the most crucial factor was the existence standing behind her!
Yaoyue Island's Demonic Lord Qingyang!
At this moment, under everyone's watchful eyes, Cheng Haixin smoothed her hair and gave a wry smile.
"Fellow Daoists flatter me too much. Faced with such a great demon, what method could a humble woman like me possibly possess?"
Seeing her deflect, the others wore expressions of suspicion.
"Could it be that before Master Qingyang departed, he left you no offensive measures?"
"Even if he did, how could they be squandered on a Demon King, especially when it hasn't attacked us?" Fairy Yaoyue said, dodging their direct inquiry.
She knew very well that they were testing the waters.
Whether Demonic Lord Qingyang had left behind any countermeasures was the question these clan heads were most curious about.
With the Demonic Lord gone for so long without returning, Yaoyue Island was essentially masterless territory, and everyone wanted a piece of the pie.
In particular, there was a stone stele engraved with the *Qingyang Pill Canon* upon it!
Among the crowd, someone sighed, "If only our Flying Swallow Archipelago had a true local Core Formation cultivator of our own."
"Indeed. What a pity about Fellow Daoist Cheng Dou. He was originally the one with the greatest hope of forming a core, yet fell short at the final moment and lost his life on the spot."
"I heard he was too impatient?"
"He had practiced the *Qingyang Pill Canon* for barely ten years before hastily attempting Core Formation. He was indeed rushed, and that must be why he suffered backlash!"
"Then speaking of which, doesn't that mean the *Qingyang Pill Canon* might have flaws of its own?"
As the discussion drifted further off topic, Cheng Haixin's expression darkened.
Over the years, the various clans had grown increasingly dissatisfied with the Black Swan Cheng clan.
When Demonic Lord Qingyang was present, none had dared show even a hint of it.
Yet the Demonic Lord had departed and remained gone for years.
Her elder brother, who had reached consummate Foundation Establishment, had failed his Core Formation attempt and died on the spot, leaving the vast Cheng clan without a late Foundation Establishment cultivator to hold down the fort.
Little by little, the grievances they had harbored over the years had begun to surface.
Probing whether the Demonic Lord had left behind countermeasures, discussing her deceased elder brother to her face, and even casting doubt upon the *Qingyang Pill Canon*—were these not all thinly veiled provocations?
If only the Demonic Lord were still here!
Taking a deep breath, the woman said coldly, "Fellow Daoists, let us discuss how to deal with that Tianxuan Battle Gull instead!"
She forcefully steered the conversation back.
"Having such a Demon King lingering nearby without leaving bodes ill for the daily operations of all our clans.
"Whether managing internal clan business, working out at sea, or traveling abroad for commerce, none of it can proceed.
"Unless we resolve this issue, all of us are trapped as though in a prison!"
The expressions of the crowd turned grim.
Finally, someone suggested, "How about we unleash the array and forcefully slay it?"
This was the measure of last resort. Once they did that...
While everyone wavered in indecision, a cultivator hurried in from outside.
"It's gone!"
"That Demon King suddenly left!"
The crowd froze in surprise.
Soon after, they flew together into the sky above Black Swan Island and scanned the surroundings; indeed, there was no trace of the great demon left.
How strange! They exchanged bewildered glances.
Yet though the Demon King had departed, none of the clans dared let down their guard.
They did not immediately lift the curfew, continuing to restrict their clansmen from venturing outside, while the grand array remained primed to activate at a moment's notice.
If the Demon King had done it intentionally to lull them into complacency before wheeling back to attack, they would still be able to respond in time.
Evidently, however, such a state could not last forever. No one could endure that strain indefinitely.
And amid this suffocating atmosphere, the third day arrived.
Above the docks, a bird's cry suddenly echoed out.
The piercing screech reverberated in every direction, startling the Foundation Establishment cultivators who were already on edge like birds frightened by the twang of a bow.
Over a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators across the Flying Swallow Archipelago mobilized together and flew high into the sky.
The Demon King had returned—a battle seemed truly unavoidable this time!
Moreover, the Tianxuan Battle Gull was known as the most aggressive and battle-hardened of marine demon fowl; once fighting broke out, heavy casualties were almost certain.
Amid the general trepidation, Cheng Haixin at the forefront suddenly brightened, letting out a soft gasp of surprise.
"That is..."
Before the others could react, she leapt straight past the array's defensive boundary and flew toward the Tianxuan Battle Gull.
"Haixin respectfully welcomes Master's return!"
Only then did everyone realize that upon the back of that enormous demon bird stood a man clad in white robes.
His aura was thoroughly concealed, resembling withered wood without attracting the slightest notice. Had one looked upon him on ordinary days, he would have appeared no different from a mortal.
Yet clearly, someone capable of subduing a Demon King to serve as his mount could never be a mortal.
The cultivators were utterly astounded!
The Demonic Lord had merely made a trip outside and tamed a Tianxuan Battle Gull as his mount—such methods were truly beyond their imagination.
Most likely, his cultivation had advanced significantly once again.
All at once, the cultivators flew out of the island without a second thought to welcome Demonic Lord Qingyang.
Facing the chorus of voices welcoming the Demonic Lord back, Luo Chen maintained a detached expression.
"Disperse, all of you."
With those words, his magic power surged, sweeping up Cheng Haixin, and riding the Tianxuan Battle Gull, he flew straight toward the ten-li tranquil lake at the center of the archipelago.
Upon arrival, he flicked his wrist.
The Hunyuan Cauldron opened, and a black flood dragon swam out.
Surging with demonic qi, the black flood dragon expanded in size. Stretching out its body in pure comfort, it could not help letting out a thunderous roar.
"*Roar!*"
Look how delighted he was.
Watching Black King swim into the ten-li tranquil lake while the Tianxuan Battle Gull settled onto Yaoyue Island to preen its feathers, Luo Chen finally relaxed.
He was finally back!
Witnessing this, Cheng Haixin's eyelids twitched furiously.
A single Tianxuan Battle Gull was already shocking enough.
Yet the Demonic Lord had actually subdued a flood dragon as well!
Previously, Kun Jiao, the leader of the Flood Dragon Gang, had owned a black flood dragon, but its strength had been utterly mediocre; even her late elder brother, Cheng Dou, had not feared it in the least.
Unlike that one, this beast possessed a colossal body and a deep, imposing aura—at a single glance, one could tell it was not to be provoked.
Just as thoughts ran wild in her mind, Luo Chen turned around.
"During these past years, have any major events occurred on the islands?"
Cheng Haixin turned solemn. "Nothing major, but someone did come to visit you."
"Who?"
"He called himself Blood Nightmare. I couldn't discern his exact cultivation realm, but I didn't dare look at him twice. He must be exceedingly powerful!"
Blood Nightmare!
Luo Chen's expression shifted slightly. That an existence of such caliber had proactively come knocking was truly beyond his expectations.
Chapter 560