At Giant Whale Port, traffic surged like flowing water, and the throngs of people were woven thick.
Countless cultivators bustled about, the majority of them at the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages.
Yet Golden Core cultivators, who were ordinarily rare to see, also appeared here from time to time; most hurried on their way, lacking their usual aloof, untouchable demeanor.
A tall man in a white feathered robe, his face ruddy red, strolled along the broad walkway. His pitch-black eyes peered curiously left and right, as though he could never take in enough of the sight.
Behind him followed an alluring female cultivator carrying a long object wrapped in white cloth on her back. While her figure could not be called voluptuous, the unruly defiance between her brows gave her a distinct, untamable air that warned others not to treat her lightly.
Suddenly, the red-faced man paused by a seaside railing.
He gazed into the distance at a massive vessel.
"That commotion just now was a bit much."
"Fortunately, it lasted only an instant. Anticipating it early, I disembarked ahead of time."
Over these years of persistently purging the sinister balefulness from the Soul Nourishing Wood, Luo Chen had gained a profound understanding of it.
The origin of this balefulness was bound to be an extraordinarily formidable creature!
Its cultivation level had to be at least at the Nascent Soul stage or higher.
Even a lingering wisp of its aura made Han Zhan avoid it like a tiger.
That sensation was even more oppressive than what Demon Emperor Qingshuang had once exerted over him.
Yet if it were a Soul Formation-grade entity, that did not seem quite right either.
Such a being, even in lingering traces alone, was definitely not something Luo Chen could have purged.
Shaking his head, Luo Chen put the matter out of his mind.
He turned around and calmly looked toward a hesitant man not far away.
Beckoning with a hand, he called out, "Come over here!"
Granted Luo Chen's permission, the middle-aged man trotted over without delay.
"What orders does Master have for me?"
Looking at him, Luo Chen asked in return, "Shouldn't it be you who wants something? Why else would you follow me all this way?"
The middle-aged man bowed even deeper.
"This lowly one is Liu Fu. I run a modest intelligence business around the docks and moonlight as a guide. Seeing that Master appears to have just arrived and takes an interest in everything, Liu Fu is willing to offer his services."
Luo Chen nodded.
Sure enough, his previous act of looking like a wide-eyed newcomer had caught the eye of an observant bystander.
By now, he had reverted to his original appearance—no longer sallow-faced or stooped at the waist—revealing his true bearing.
Even his cultivation was no longer suppressed; he displayed his Golden Core realm openly.
The unique spiritual pressure belonging to a Golden Core Master occasionally rippled outward, prompting low-tier cultivators to clear a path on their own accord.
Anyone willing to approach him at such a time and dare solicit his business was certainly no impostor making up numbers, but someone with genuine competence.
"Is Master heading into Shenyuan City? This lowly one has quite a few connections over there. Whether for lodging, shopping, attending black markets, selling resources, or renting an immortal's cave, I can run errands on your behalf," Liu Fu said with utter confidence.
However, Luo Chen's reply caught him completely off guard.
"Shenyuan City?"
"I won't be going there for now."
Luo Chen cast a distant gaze toward the farther north, tapping the railing with his hand, and asked softly, "Do you have a route to the Myriad Immortals Association? Arrange one for me that is fast and hassle-free. Do well, and you will be handsomely rewarded."
Liu Fu froze. This was the first time he had seen someone come to Shenyuan City only to bypass it without setting foot inside.
Yet he quickly grasped the reason.
"Is Master a rogue cultivator?"
"Indeed. I am Luo Hai. Having heard that the Myriad Immortals Association is a sacred ground for rogue cultivators, I wish to catch a glimpse of its glory."
"Sacred ground?"
Liu Fu felt his scalp prickle. In a low voice, he said, "That is no benevolent place! Except for ruthless villains confident in their overwhelming strength or desperate wretches with nowhere else to turn, ordinary rogue cultivators wouldn't dare set foot in the Myriad Immortals Association. It is a place that strictly adheres to the law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak and strength alone dictates everything."
Luo Chen shot him a glance. "What? Do you think my strength is inadequate?"
Liu Fu's face blanched, and he shook his head and waved his hands repeatedly. "This lowly one didn't mean that at all! I only feared that Master might not understand the situation over there and stumble into peril, only to blame me afterward."
"Oh? In that case, tell me everything you know about the Myriad Immortals Association! Once I understand, I will decide whether to go. Regardless of what happens in the future, I will not blame you."
Relieved, Liu Fu promptly laid out everything he knew about the Myriad Immortals Association, detail by detail.
...
A merchant ship—yet another merchant ship.
This time, however, Luo Chen boarded a vessel that carried both cargo and passengers.
Aside from a vast cargo, more than half of the cultivators aboard were rogue cultivators who had paid exorbitant travel fares in spirit stones specifically to journey to the domain of the Myriad Immortals Association.
Standing on the deck, Luo Chen watched a rank-two dragon whale pulling the ship from the bow, his mind digesting the information Liu Fu had shared earlier.
The Myriad Immortals Association!
One of the four major powers of the Northern Sea.
Though ranked lowest among them, it was still not to be underestimated.
Thanks to the Northern Sea's vast territory, scattered spirit veins, and the fact that cultivation resources were not entirely monopolized by the major factions, formidable rogue cultivators emerged in an endless stream.
The Myriad Immortals Association had been founded through the joint efforts of the Three Hermits:
Blood Hermit, Moon Hermit, and Mad Hermit!
All three of these hermits possessed mid Nascent Soul cultivation, and rumors even held that one among them had long since broken through to the late Nascent Soul stage in secret, becoming one of the rare, true great cultivators of this world!
Late Nascent Soul great cultivators were hardly common cabbages.
Although every province had a fair number, most hailed from sacred grounds.
With the destruction of the Northern Sea's sacred ground, the Yuan Demon Sect, and the fall of the vast majority of its high-tier cultivators, late Nascent Soul great cultivators in the outside world had become all the rarer.
As far as Luo Chen knew, among the current four major factions, each had only a single late Nascent Soul great cultivator; their numbers were scarce, second only to Soul Formation mighty figures.
This was one of the reasons the Myriad Immortals Association could stand shoulder to shoulder with the other three major powers.
Yet according to Liu Fu, the Myriad Immortals Association had actually been established long ago.
That "long ago" predated the downfall of the Yuan Demon Sect.
It was merely that after the Yuan Demon Sect fell, the Myriad Immortals Association seized the opportunity to carve up much of its territory, thereby truly growing into a giant.
And the other reason why the Myriad Immortals Association could remain safe and sound right beneath the noses of the Canghai Alliance and the Moluo Stream was something outsiders did not know.
"According to high-tier cultivators in Shenyuan City, when the demon army breached the Yuan Demon Sect back then, it did not come without a price. Not only did countless demons perish, but the main army was also trapped within Arctic Yama Heaven.
"It is said that before his death, a mighty figure from the Yuan Demon Sect's Soul Refining branch used his natal magic treasure, the Million Baleful Souls Banner, combined with the unique terrain, to set up the Million Baleful Souls Formation, blanketing the entire Arctic Yama Heaven. That mighty figure intended to rely on his own strength to refine the hundreds of millions of demonic soldiers alive within it!
"Though no one knows whether he succeeded, it truly trapped the demons of rank four and above inside, allowing entry but no exit!
"It was precisely this mighty figure's dying strike that bought the cultivators of the Northern Sea a century of respite.
"However, even though the high-tier demons cannot get out, demon beasts below rank four are hardly affected. From time to time, packs of low-tier demon beasts flee from Arctic Yama Heaven.
"These demon beasts survived the brutal battle against the elite forces of the Yuan Demon Sect. Though few in number, they are incomparably ferocious. Once out, they often sweep up surrounding low-tier beasts and launch onslaughts against human territory.
"And the Myriad Immortals Association bears the brunt as the first line of defense!
"The Three Oceans Defensive Line under its control is truly a meat grinder of flesh and blood; every year, an untold number of cultivators perish in those three oceans."
...
Upon learning this, Luo Chen finally understood why the Myriad Immortals Association had been able to gradually expand under the eyes of the other three major powers.
The three factions were simply treating the Myriad Immortals Association as a shield against the demon race!
Since the ones dying were rogue cultivators, it caused them no heartbreak.
Moreover, they could seize this opportunity to wage a tripartite struggle, determine the ultimate victor, and unify the Northern Sea cultivation world.
He had heard that over the past century and more, whenever the Myriad Immortals Association was on the verge of collapsing under the sheer volume of low-tier demon beasts, the Moluo Stream and the Canghai Alliance—aside from the newly returned Penglai Immortal Sect—had dispatched substantial reinforcements.
Even the Tianyuan Business Alliance here in Shenyuan City had contributed massive amounts of resources in support.
Because of the Three Oceans Defensive Line and the threat posed by the demon army trapped in Arctic Yama Heaven, all rogue cultivators joining the Myriad Immortals Association were unbound by regular rules and restrictions—save for a single law.
Whenever a beast tide struck, every rogue cultivator had to unconditionally deploy to the Three Oceans Defensive Line to battle and repel the demons!
"This condition is quite lenient for me."
Luo Chen felt in good spirits. Fighting reckless, ignorant low-tier demon beasts was far simpler and more straightforward than clashing with scheming, treacherous cultivators.
He favored such a setup.
Presumably, other rogue cultivators felt the same!
Sure enough, eavesdropping with his divine sense, he found that most of the other rogue cultivators aboard who sought to join the Myriad Immortals Association shared this mindset.
However, there were exceptions.
Luo Chen quietly glanced at an old man and a youth standing on the upper deck.
They were the masters of this vessel, from the Shenyuan Gao clan.
Though native cultivators born and bred in the Northern Sea, their ancestors had ties to the Tianyuan Dao Sect, which was how they were able to expand their business beyond Shenyuan City.
At the moment, the elder and youth above were conversing.
"Grandfather, is the Myriad Immortals Association truly that good? Why do these rogue cultivators refuse to join cultivation clans or sects like ours, insisting instead on traveling thousands of miles to go there?"
"Xiao Yuan, you don't know the hardships of rogue cultivators! Unless given high regard by their patron clan, even if rogue cultivators seek refuge with us, they are treated as nothing more than beasts of burden. Especially under the current war between the righteous and demonic paths, it is all too likely they will be used as cannon fodder. Tell me, would they still want to join us?"
"So that's why! No wonder our Gao clan offered such favorable conditions, yet over the years we've only managed to recruit a few Golden Core consecrated elders, and even Foundation Establishment guest elders are few and far between."
"Haha, Xiao Yuan, don't think too highly of the Myriad Immortals Association either."
"Grandfather, what do you mean?"
"They simply don't know just how terrifying the legendary Three Oceans Defensive Line is! It is known as a meat grinder of life and death, an ocean of blood and flesh. The rogue cultivators who manage to survive the Three Oceans Defensive Line are few and far between. In fact, in this regard, the Myriad Immortals Association joined forces with the three major factions to establish star-ranked titles, specifically to reward those formidable rogue cultivators who survive battle after battle."
"Could it be the Star Demon Hunters?"
"Correct. Such cultivators are not judged by realm, but strictly by their star rank for strength. If an early Golden Core cultivator earns the title of Nine-Star Demon Hunter, even a late Golden Core great cultivator would treat them with utmost respect!"
Hearing this, yearning shone in the youth's eyes.
"Nine-Star Demon Hunters... does such a person really exist?"
"There used to be one in the past, but he is no longer one now."
"Ah! Did he perish?"
"No, it's just that fifty years ago, that esteemed master ascended to the Nascent Soul stage, attaining the honored status of a Perfected Person, and naturally shed the title of Nine-Star Demon Hunter."
"A Perfected Person!"
Caressing his beard, the old man said solemnly, "That's why I said the Star Demon Hunter title was established jointly by the Myriad Immortals Association and the three major powers. It is rumored that anyone who achieves the nine-star title will, upon reaching the peak Great Circle of the Golden Core stage, receive an immense reward from the four factions—including a share of Nascent Soul formation resources. Presumably, this is a special compensation specifically for rogue cultivators who have performed great services for humanity!"
"They deserve it!" The youth's expression was full of both envy and resolve. He then said, "I want to go see the Three Oceans Defensive Line too. If I could earn a Star Demon Hunter title..."
"Nonsense! That is not for you to think about. You are the Gao clan's treasure. Bringing you to the Myriad Immortals Association this time is to broaden your horizons, not to let you throw yourself into danger."
...
Luo Chen paid little heed to the rest of the old man and youth's conversation.
Instead, he silently turned over the crucial information revealed.
Star Demon Hunters. Nascent Soul formation resources.
To think such benefits existed within the Myriad Immortals Association.
Could he have a chance as well?
After obtaining the formula for the Nascent Soul Formation Pill, his confidence in concocting it had grown several degrees stronger.
Yet regarding a spiritual ground suitable for forming a Nascent Soul, he remained completely at a loss.
With the backing and rewards of the four major factions, everything would fall naturally into place.
'It seems reality differs somewhat from my original plan. Once I arrive there, I'll need to scheme carefully.'
As Luo Chen pondered, his eyes landed on a man and a woman on the ship.
Their demeanor was relaxed and detached. Whenever they glanced at the nearby rogue cultivators traveling to join the Myriad Immortals Association, disdain often flickered in their eyes.
Mulling it over, he walked forward on his own initiative.
Sensing his approach, the man and woman's expressions shifted, displaying clear resistance.
"Fellow Daoist..."
Before they could refuse, Luo Chen spoke up directly.
"I am Luo Hai. Why don't you two young friends get acquainted with me?"
He released a faint trace of Golden Core spiritual pressure, causing both their expressions to tighten.
The male cultivator took a deep breath. "I am Zhang Jiadi, and beside me is my dao companion, Wen Xiu. Might I ask what guidance Senior has for us?"
"I wouldn't presume to offer guidance." Luo Chen smiled, his gaze scrutinizing the pair from head to toe before nodding. "If I am not mistaken, you two must be Star Demon Hunters!"
"No, I am not! Don't talk nonsense," Zhang Jiadi denied immediately.
Beside him, tension flashed across the female cultivator's face as well.
Luo Chen paused. According to Liu Fu and the Gao clan elders, Star Demon Hunters held considerable status.
Even away from the Myriad Immortals Association, traveling across the Northern Sea under that title would command widespread respect.
From his observation, these two Foundation Establishment cultivators exuded a thick blood-baleful aura.
That was something left behind only through countless slaughters.
Moreover, steeped within that baleful aura were many tangled traces of demon beasts.
Clearly, it had formed from slaying a great many demon beasts.
To this degree, they should at least hold the title of Star Demon Hunter!
Why were they unwilling to reveal it?
After a brief appraisal, a faint, knowing smile played across Luo Chen's lips.
"Whether you are or not, I can judge for myself. However, I have never visited the Myriad Immortals Association and am quite unfamiliar with the place. Surely you two young friends won't begrudge introducing it to me?"
Under his gaze, sweat beaded on Zhang Jiadi's forehead, his expression strained to the limit.
Beside him, the female cultivator grew so anxious that, without realizing it, she had gripped her dao companion's hand.
Right at that moment, the Gao clan's Golden Core cultivator standing on the upper deck—the old man—noticed something amiss over here.
"Fellow Daoist, fighting is forbidden aboard my Gao clan's ship. Please grant us some face."
Luo Chen looked back and cupped his hands. "It hardly amounts to a fight. I merely wished to speak with this veteran Star Demon Hunt—"
"Senior! Whatever you wish to ask, Xiao Zhang will tell you everything he knows without holding back a word!"
"Heh heh."
Luo Chen chuckled and lowered his hands.
Above, the old man knitted his brows, watching the scene in silence.
Yet as the red-faced cultivator deployed a sound-isolating barrier and even circulated magic power to obscure the movements of their mouths, the old man withdrew his gaze.
"Grandfather, they..."
"Xiao Yuan, this is your first long trip away from home. Let me teach you the first of the Three Laws for walking the cultivation world: Mind your own business!"
Chapter 593