Above the waters of the Quyang Sea Domain, two figures looked at each other and smiled.
A bout of coughing drifted up from below. Amid the undulating waves, Duan Li struggled out of the sea depths, drifting slowly over to the two men.
His face was deathly pale, and threads of black qi squirmed across his cheeks like earthworms.
His aura was so withered and feeble that it was hard to believe he was a Golden Core cultivator.
"Cough, cough... I... my thanks to Qingyangzi for the warning. Were it not for you, I would have fallen to that man's ambush," Duan Li said, his black-and-white mottled face filled with gratitude.
Luo Chen waved a hand with a smile. "Think nothing of it. We fought side by side, so offering a warning was only right. It is merely a pity about Fellow Daoist Hao Ye."
As he spoke, he looked toward Old Angler.
Old Angler raised an eyebrow and crooked his finger. A thin silk thread flew from his fingertip and plunged into the ocean depths.
Moments later, it hauled up a battered, mutilated corpse.
It was Hao Ye.
His eyes were wide and round, filled with lingering grievance. He had died with his eyes open, unwilling to the very end.
Looking at Hao Ye's body, all three fell silent.
After a long while, Old Angler finally stowed the corpse along with the man's belongings into a storage bag.
"We traveled together, after all. Even a rogue cultivator deserves a proper burial. Once we return, I will have someone lay him to rest properly."
Luo Chen glanced at the old man's movements. Old Angler had unceremoniously taken Hao Ye's storage bag, spirit beast bag, and flying sword without the slightest hesitation.
*He did nothing, yet reaped so much reward?*
However, Old Angler's greed went even further than Luo Chen anticipated.
Flicking his fingers repeatedly, Old Angler sent out streams of silk thread before their very eyes.
Soon, the white-robed cultivator's pitch-black wooden sword, his storage bag, and even his corpse were all bound up.
"Qingyangzi?"
Luo Chen arched an eyebrow, loosened the chains of the Hunyuan Cauldron binding the white-robed cultivator, and let Old Angler pocket all the spoils.
Luo Chen raised no objection, but Duan Li grew somewhat indignant at the sight.
"Senior Angler, we were the ones who fought bitterly to slay this man, and Qingyangzi contributed the most. How could you..."
Old Angler chuckled, paying no mind to Duan Li's anger.
"Pardon me, but these are the rules of the Myriad Immortals Association. The initial assessment mission is always like this. In the future, when you take on other missions as Demon Hunters, whatever spoils you obtain will be entirely yours to keep."
Saying so, he patted the bulging storage bags hanging at his waist.
"These items will not be pocketed by this old man, either. They will be turned over to the Demon Hunting Bureau to be screened and made available for all Demon Hunters to exchange. As the participants in this battle, you naturally have priority selection, and I will notify you when the time comes."
His words were delivered with such sound reasoning that no one could pick out any flaw.
Luo Chen said nothing, and Duan Li naturally found it hard to press the matter further.
However, after a brief silence, Duan Li asked tentatively, "For this assessment mission, I should count as having failed, right? Why would I still receive a share later?"
Old Angler stroked his grizzled beard. "Who said you failed?"
"But..." Duan Li glanced at Luo Chen, who remained impassive.
Old Angler explained, "The three of you took on this assessment mission together. As long as it succeeds, the credit belongs to all three of you. The specific evaluation will be overseen by this old man, your invigilator. Qingyangzi goes without saying—he will be promoted directly to a Four-Star Demon Hunter. As for Fellow Daoist Duan Li, though you did not claim the primary credit, you still contributed considerably. Once I bring the Mirage Shadow Bead back for the other elders of the Demon Hunting Bureau to review, they will naturally grant you a suitable Demon Hunter star rank. Exactly how many stars is hard to say, but you will certainly receive formal status."
As he spoke, he displayed a round bead in his hand.
A Mirage Shadow Bead was a peculiar magical treasure unique to the Northern Sea, capable of recording and storing imagery. Its working principles derived from spells and magical implements such as the Water Mirror Art and image-retaining spirit screens, yet it was a cut above them.
Looking at the Mirage Shadow Bead, Luo Chen subconsciously furrowed his brow.
As if knowing what he was thinking, Old Angler offered a word of comfort. "Rest assured, the Demon Hunting Bureau will not leak these images. Your combat techniques will be kept as confidential as possible."
Luo Chen's brow relaxed slightly, though he remained half-convinced at best. Old Angler could not offer any further guarantees; once one undertook an assessment mission, one had to abide by certain implicit rules.
Duan Li, on the other hand, could not help coughing a few more times.
"Do we have any other business? Why don't we head back first? My injuries urgently require treatment."
Old Angler looked around. "We can leave at any time, but we have to wait for Qingyangzi to finish wrapping up."
With that, he wiped the smile from his face and looked at Luo Chen. "Have you had your fill?"
Duan Li started, his gaze falling toward the sea surface where ghosts were tearing into one another.
Without a master to control it, the white-robed cultivator's Soul Refining Banner had become an ownerless object. Moreover, he had previously deployed every ghost inside it to lay down the Black Domain.
Now that the Black Domain had been shattered, the massive, bizarre ghost king had reverted to its original form and was trying to flee the area. Yet it was being besieged frantically by other ghost kings, which tore off chunks of its soul body bite by bite.
Evidently, those attacking ghost kings belonged to Luo Chen!
Luo Chen grunted in assent, formed a hand seal, and recalled his Ten Thousand Soul Banner.
After this fierce battle, his Ten Thousand Soul Banner had suffered no losses; on the contrary, its ghostly qi had grown considerably richer. Most importantly, that peculiar ghost king—neither entirely human nor fully beast—had been forcibly dragged into the banner by his demonic crab ghost kings!
"My thanks to Senior Angler."
Old Angler smiled and retrieved the white-robed cultivator's battered Soul Refining Banner.
"No matter. Rules are dead, but people are alive. So long as the main banner remains, I can turn it in to fulfill my duty. As for how many souls are left inside? In a great battle where two Golden Core cultivators perished, some losses are only natural. Let us be off!"
With a casual wave of his sleeve, a flying boat manifested beneath his feet. He jutted his chin toward Duan Li.
The latter was momentarily taken aback, then showed a grateful expression and stepped aboard.
Clearly, Old Angler was accommodating his injuries; otherwise, there would have been no need for a flying boat.
Luo Chen also stepped onto the craft. Yet before leaving, he looked back at the stretch of sea where the turmoil had still not subsided.
A proud prodigy from a Soul Formation holy land, and a rogue cultivator who had endured countless hardships in the wilds to reach the Golden Core realm, had both perished just like that.
Silent and unremembered, with no one to sing their praises.
As Old Angler inserted spirit stones and channeled his magic power, the flying boat turned into a streak of light, carrying the three of them toward the Myriad Immortals Association's stronghold in the Quyang Sea Domain.
***
Quyang Island was the name of the stronghold.
Four had gone out, and three returned.
Xiao Buhuan came out of the island in person to welcome them.
Though slightly surprised by Hao Ye's demise, he was not shocked. He immediately prepared to have the teleportation array activated, but Old Angler stopped him.
"Fellow Daoist Duan Li is severely injured and unfit for forced teleportation. Let him recuperate here for half a month to stabilize his condition before departing."
Duan Li cast a grateful look at Old Angler, then turned to Xiao Buhuan. "I have troubled you."
Xiao Buhuan waved a hand. "Think nothing of it."
Yet this turn of events only made him all the more curious about Luo Chen.
Three Golden Core cultivators had taken the assessment mission: one had died, one was gravely wounded, yet Qingyangzi had emerged completely unscathed. That spoke volumes about his capability. A desire to forge ties naturally arose in Xiao Buhuan's heart.
"Fellow Daoist Qingyangzi rarely ventures out to sea, and you may take on garrison duties here in the future. Why don't I show you around so you can familiarize yourself with the environment first?"
The corner of Luo Chen's mouth curled slightly. "In that case, I shall impose upon your hospitality."
***
And so, Luo Chen and the others temporarily settled down on Quyang Island.
Duan Li tended to his wounds behind closed doors.
Old Angler went out to sea from time to time. Rumor had it that beyond his invigilation duties, he had other important matters to attend to; he merely left word that he would certainly return in half a month.
Meanwhile, hosted by Xiao Buhuan, Luo Chen enjoyed a rare spell of leisure.
"Each of the three lines in the Three Oceans Defensive Line has its own peculiarities. The Liuyang Sea Domain is plagued by surging undercurrents; even bodies as robust as demon beasts find it difficult to cross, making it extremely easy to lose one's way—a natural barrier. Our Quyang Defensive Line has its own advantage: an endless field of submerged reefs spread across the entire domain.
"The Myriad Immortals Association invited formation masters from Shenyuan City to lay down the Luotian Grand Reef Formation here. When activated, countless submerged reefs shift in concert, twisting jaggedly and churning heaven and sea. It is a premier killing formation.
"As for the Huanyang Sea Domain, serving as the third defensive line, it is a place of pure defense. Its ingenuity..."
On this day, Xiao Buhuan led Luo Chen down to a stretch of the sea surface. While explaining the distinctive features of the Quyang Defensive Line, he used a formation plate to raise black reefs inscribed with bizarre runes from beneath the waves.
The Luotian Grand Reef Formation was built by integrating mountains, rivers, and oceanic ley lines, drawing upon several Tier 3 spirit veins across this sea domain. It was an unadulterated Tier 4 offensive grand formation. Only by relying on such a formation could they halt the formidable demon beasts that breached the first line of defense.
In ordinary times, it looked calm and peaceful.
Yet once war broke out, the intensity of battle here would surpass even the first line.
As he spoke, a bitter smile touched Xiao Buhuan's face.
"This garrison duty seems leisurely, but in truth, we live in constant dread every single day."
"Why is that?" Luo Chen asked curiously.
Xiao Buhuan pointed toward the far north. "Who knows when the demon beast horde trapped within the Arctic Yama Heaven will break free en masse? If that day comes, even if no Tier 4 demon emperors emerge, the sheer tide of low-tier demon beasts will sweep over the human heartlands like a tsunami. A mere Three Oceans Defensive Line will not hold for long, in my opinion."
Realization dawned upon Luo Chen.
He knew very well that the demon beast army capable of storming the mountain gate of the Yuan Demon Sect was no ragtag band of minor sea creatures, nor was it comparable to the demonic crabs and Ring-Headed Turtles of the Xuanyan Sea Domain.
Even if the surviving demon beasts were far fewer after the demon-slaying war, once they broke out, neither the Three Oceans Defensive Line nor the Myriad Immortals Association could possibly withstand them alone.
That was a formidable enemy that could only be resisted if the entire Northern Sea cultivation world united.
Yet if that were so, would not his original intention of seeking peace and steering clear of the righteous-demonic war fall flat?
Had he jumped from the center of one vortex straight into another?
Luo Chen's brow furrowed. "Regarding this matter, have the Three Great Hermits ever publicly voiced their opinions?"
"Those three Perfected Persons?" Xiao Buhuan paused, then shook his head. "Apart from Moon Hermit occasionally showing her face, the other two are utterly elusive. With their whereabouts so shrouded in mystery, how could they publicly express opinions?"
Luo Chen was rendered speechless.
Suddenly, he recalled the fragments of information the white-robed cultivator had let slip during their battle, and his curiosity was piqued.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao, you mentioned you have been with the Myriad Immortals Association for seventy years. Surely you know something of the deeds of the Three Great Hermits?"
"I do know a little."
"Then do you know their true names?"
"That..." Xiao Buhuan hesitated.
Luo Chen voiced three names—precisely the ones the white-robed cultivator had spoken earlier.
"Pang Bujue, Leng Xiaoyue, Fengling Jushi!"
"I cannot say for certain about the first two. However, before the Mad Hermit lost his mind completely, his Daoist title was indeed Fengling Jushi."
With one of the three names verified, Luo Chen became increasingly convinced of their authenticity.
Looking at Xiao Buhuan, Luo Chen smiled. "I hear that all three share an irreconcilable feud with the Yuan Demon Sect. Do you know the specifics of that hatred?"
When cultivators chatted in private, besides trading insights on cultivation, they would discuss other matters as well.
Put gracefully, it was analyzing the grand trends of the cultivation world.
Put bluntly, it was gossip.
Evidently, Xiao Buhuan's interest was piqued as well.
"I know little about Moon Hermit and Mad Hermit, but regarding Blood Hermit's grudge with the Yuan Demon Sect, I actually happen to know a thing or two."
He recounted smoothly: "It is said that back then, Blood Hermit was not a rogue cultivator; he had a sect backing him. He was the most cherished prodigy of his sect, bearing all their hopes!
"That sect was quite powerful, overseen by a Nascent Soul ancestor and ruling as a regional power. Naturally, smaller factions sought their favor. I heard that another Nascent Soul force of equal standing took the initiative to propose a marriage alliance with Blood Hermit's sect, betrothing a young female cultivator to him.
"Yet that very female cultivator caught the eye of a Yuan Demon Sect disciple. At the time, Blood Hermit did not know the man's true identity, and in the ensuing clash, he killed him in a fit of rage."
Hearing this, as a polite listener, Luo Chen chimed in appropriately.
"And that was how the grudge was forged?"
Xiao Buhuan shook his head. "If it were just that, how could it be called an irreconcilable feud? Besides, a holy land disciple losing to a true disciple of a lesser sect is embarrassing to publicize. What happened afterward was the primary cause."
With a touch of excitement, he continued, "The Yuan Demon Sect cared about its reputation, so they did not send people to target Blood Hermit directly. Instead, an elder of that slain disciple approached the Nascent Soul ancestor of Blood Hermit's sect and proposed a duel. Seeking out the junior's elder to settle the score rather than bullying the weak seemed gentlemanly enough. But with a command from a holy land, the subordinate sect could not refuse. And so, the duel commenced. Unsurprisingly, Blood Hermit's revered master met with a tragic defeat.
"With that single battle, the Yuan Demon Sect washed away their disgrace and reclaimed their prestige.
"Blood Hermit's master, however, passed away within ten years of that defeat. The sect placed all the blame on Blood Hermit. Whether out of self-interest, retribution, or severing ties, the elders joined forces and expelled him from the sect. Furthermore, the woman's family, terrified of retribution from the Yuan Demon Sect, took the initiative to deliver the betrothed maiden into the Yuan Demon Sect. I heard her end was horrific—she was treated as a human furnace and drained to death.
"After all these tragedies, Blood Hermit's temperament warped entirely, and he gradually walked the demonic path. Once he reached the Nascent Soul realm, he returned first to annihilate his own former sect, then descended upon the woman's family, turning their lands into a purgatory."
*A warped temperament?*
His revered master dead, expelled from his sect, the woman he loved meeting a gruesome end...
Luo Chen's eyelids twitched as he listened. For such disasters to fall upon the cherished prodigy of a sect was indeed too much to bear. It seemed only natural that he had spiraled into extremism.
Seeing Luo Chen so absorbed, Xiao Buhuan's heart skipped a beat.
He had spoken too intimately with someone he barely knew.
"Fellow Daoist Qingyangzi, these are merely rumors I heard secondhand; you must not take them as gospel. Not to mention rogue cultivators like us, even the people involved probably could not untangle all the details. Just treat it as an amusing tale and do not spread it abroad."
Luo Chen chuckled. "I understand. Fellow Daoist Xiao, do not worry."
Xiao Buhuan breathed a slight sigh of relief, though he immediately changed the subject.
"Once you return, becoming a Four-Star Demon Hunter is practically set in stone, and you will likely enter the Dragon Taming Mountain Range to cultivate. Have you decided which peak you will choose for your permanent cave dwelling?"
As expected, this topic instantly caught Luo Chen's interest.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao, could you enlighten me on this?"
Xiao Buhuan smiled with self-satisfaction. "On this subject, I have truly done my research!
"Do you know where the name 'Dragon Taming' comes from?"
"I would gladly hear the details!"
"Legend has it that in ancient times, desolate beasts roamed the Northern Sea. Among them was a desolate beast named the Stone Dragon, a spirit born of ore that attained the Dao. When it died, its essence nourished heaven and earth, giving birth to a Tier 5 spirit vein in the Northern Sea. After the ancient war between humans and demons, that region became human territory. When the Yuan Demon Sect held sway over the Northern Sea, they moved mountains and drove the seas, relocating numerous spirit veins into the Arctic Yama Heaven to forge a Soul Formation holy land! Yet when they moved that Stone Dragon spirit vein, the remnant soul of the Stone Dragon had not fully perished, causing a massive disturbance. In the end, the newly ascended Ancestor Blood Sea of the Yuan Demon Sect personally intervened to subdue it. Not only was the Tier 5 spirit vein relocated, but the Stone Dragon's remnant soul was also captured."
Xiao Buhuan paused before asserting firmly, "The Dragon Taming Mountain Range where the Myriad Immortals Association resides is the very site of that old domain!"
Luo Chen was astounded to hear this.
"If the Tier 5 spirit vein was moved away, how can the Dragon Taming Mountain Range still possess Tier 4 foundations?"
"That is why people say the methods of a holy land are profound beyond our imagination," Xiao Buhuan praised, before continuing, "Yet it was not without consequences. At the very least, the convergence of spiritual energy in the Dragon Taming Mountain Range differs greatly from other Tier 4 spirit veins."
"How so?"
As Xiao Buhuan explained further, Luo Chen finally grasped the unique nature of the Dragon Taming Mountain Range.
Ordinary Tier 4 spirit veins concentrated their spiritual energy in a single core, radiating outward to form a pyramidal hierarchy of Tier 4, Tier 3, Tier 2, and Tier 1.
However, because the main vein of the Dragon Taming Mountain Range had been carted away by the Yuan Demon Sect in ancient times, its branch veins were left without an anchor.
Over three thousand years of evolution, several branch veins had come to rule their own areas, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to form independent peaks.
As a result, countless peaks stood throughout the Dragon Taming Mountain Range, and spirit veins of varying tiers were scattered across the land like stars in the sky, erratic and unpredictable.
Some veins appeared to be high-grade Tier 3, yet their abundant spiritual energy was merely a castle in the air; after a cultivator drew upon it for several months, its grade would plummet.
Conversely, some seemingly mediocre Tier 2 spirit veins, if properly nurtured, had the potential to reach mid-grade, high-grade, or even sub-Tier 3 status.
When a newly joined Golden Core cultivator sought a suitable Tier 3 spirit vein—even with grades demarcated by cultivators of the Myriad Immortals Association—picking a truly superior cave dwelling remained a complete gamble.
***
Having heard the full explanation, Luo Chen was filled with emotion.
*Being a rogue cultivator is truly not easy! After finally securing a large spirit vein to settle upon, one must still navigate countless pitfalls; a single misstep can cost hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of spirit stones.*
This put Luo Chen on high alert. When choosing a spirit land later, he would have to keep his eyes wide open to avoid being swindled.
From the way Old Angler had collected the spoils, he had already realized that while the Myriad Immortals Association appeared to be a sanctuary for rogue cultivators, it was in truth merely an instrument for high-tier cultivators to amass wealth.
Late Golden Core cultivators skimmed the spoils of early and mid-stage Golden Core cultivators.
And Nascent Soul cultivators would covet their accumulated savings over the years.
Though a Nascent Soul Perfected Person might look down upon the wealth of one or two Golden Core cultivators, when accumulated from many over years and decades, the revenue would be astronomical.
Moreover, this was not stagnant wealth, but a perpetual spring; to survive, the Golden Core cultivators under their banner would continuously generate more fortune.
He refused to be harvested like a leek.
Even if he had to pay, he would ensure he got every ounce of value for his spirit stones.
"Thank you for the warning, Fellow Daoist Xiao. Qingyang will remember this favor," Luo Chen said, cupping his hands in gratitude.
Xiao Buhuan waved a hand, the smile in his eyes undisguised.
"I have a few vacant cave dwellings to recommend. Once you return, screen through them carefully; perhaps you and I might even become neighbors."
"Oh? That is something I would welcome with open arms."
Luo Chen was delighted and promptly committed the mountain peaks Xiao Buhuan mentioned to memory.
Time passed quickly, and half a month soon arrived.
Old Angler returned, travel-stained and weary, clearly having traveled a great distance.
Upon his return, he gathered Luo Chen and Duan Li. Even though Duan Li's condition was still poor, Old Angler delayed no longer and forcibly activated the teleportation array.
***
Inside a palace within Longyuan Immortal City, the light of a formation flared brilliantly.
When it faded, the old man swayed slightly, while Duan Li could not hold back a mouthful of fresh blood.
Luo Chen watched calmly as he stepped off the raised platform of the teleportation array.
Old Angler could not resist glancing at Luo Chen once more before speaking. "Go back and rest. Return here in three days to collect your relevant materials and decide whether you wish to lease a cave dwelling in the Dragon Taming Mountain Range."
*Three days?*
Luo Chen pursed his lips. This was quite generous, giving him enough buffer time to verify Xiao Buhuan's words.
Duan Li, however, was restless, a faint look of worry hanging over his face.
Luo Chen glanced at him.
In Duan Li's current state, even if he rented a Tier 3 cave dwelling, he might not be able to defend it. Yet without the aid of a Tier 3 spirit vein, his injuries would never heal swiftly.
Presumably, he found himself in a painful dilemma.
Still, none of this had much to do with Luo Chen. If Duan Li wished to treat his injuries, Luo Chen could offer some assistance—after all, they had fought alongside each other once.
Luo Chen bade them farewell and strode out of the palace.
Emerging into the somewhat glaring sunlight, Luo Chen experienced a fleeting moment of daze.
He had now cleared the assessment mission. In just three days, he would obtain the status of a Four-Star Demon Hunter in the Myriad Immortals Association.
Could this be considered finding an organization to belong to?
*An organization?*
*It is nothing more than a rabble of cultivators with slightly higher cultivation. You cannot trust anyone else—in the end, you can only rely on yourself!*
Luo Chen let out a self-deprecating chuckle, and his pace quickened.
Chapter 600