"Gah!"
"Gah!"
The shrill cries of seabirds drifted across the open ocean as several flocks wheeled through the air in loose formations.
From time to time, one would swoop down toward the sea, extending sharp talons and plunging its pointed beak into the water. When it took to the air once more, a large fish would be clamped firmly in its jaws.
There were also sated birds that caught fish only to peck them to death and cast them back into the waves without eating them.
Blood bloomed across the water, drawing forth bloodthirsty sea beasts.
These rank-one seabirds were thoroughly enjoying themselves.
That was, until a sudden gust of gale-force wind swept past, scattering their formation into utter disarray.
The birds blinked in confusion at the sky ahead, where the faint silhouette of a wooden kite streaked away into the distance.
***
"Senior Han, I truly must thank you this time."
"It was nothing. Merely an Early Nascent Soul puppet. Discarding it is no great loss. Besides, did you not promise to give me Feiyunzi's physical body?"
Aboard the wooden kite, Luo Chen stood with his hands clasped behind his back.
Sang Jinghe sat cross-legged behind him, his face pale. Even with the protective barrier of magic power Luo Chen had erected for him, the sheer velocity of their flight made breathing an arduous struggle.
At this moment, Sang Jinghe was doing everything he could to circulate his spiritual power and dispel the discomfort.
Luo Chen glanced at him, then resumed conversing with Han Zhan inside the Soul-Nourishing Tablet.
On Purple Spirit Island, that Early Nascent Soul puppet that had decisively detonated itself had been none other than the spirit-wood puppet Han Zhan had previously inhabited.
The price that had persuaded Han Zhan to part with such a treasure was naturally Feiyunzi's physical body.
Back on the Cloud Sea Plaza in Mingzhao Heaven, Feiyunzi had shed his body like a cicada casting off its skin, allowing his Nascent Soul to escape.
Though Luo Chen had ultimately crushed Feiyunzi's Nascent Soul, he had preserved the discarded physical vessel.
That body had been reserved precisely for Han Zhan to claim through body-snatching.
Unlike a puppet, the physical form of a Nascent Soul cultivator possessed an established Purple Mansion.
Even if its spiritual roots, meridians, and acupoints did not match Han Zhan, the existence of the Purple Mansion made it an exceptional vessel, far superior to any puppet.
With a century or so of effort down the road, it could be gradually adjusted and remodeled, allowing Han Zhan to embark upon the great path of cultivation once more.
"It is a pity. Even though you left a drop of your blood essence to lure Moon Hermit onto the island, it failed to cause her any real trouble in the end," Han Zhan said with a sigh.
Luo Chen felt a twinge of regret as well. Using formations and the power of a Nascent Soul puppet to blow Purple Spirit Island sky-high would have left an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator dead or grievously wounded.
Yet according to the observations of a split-soul puppet Han Zhan had left beneath the sea, Moon Hermit had emerged entirely unscathed.
"A Great Cultivator's abilities are truly beyond imagination!"
Luo Chen sighed in admiration, his reverence and wariness toward Moon Hermit deepening further.
Facing an existence like her was manageable so long as one did not provoke her. But once crossed, she became a thorn in one's side, a perpetual source of dread.
What was more...
"I am afraid I can no longer go to the Xuanyan Sea Domain."
That was the matter troubling Luo Chen most.
His original plan had been to take a detour through the outer sea to reach the Xuanyan Sea Domain, where he had once hunted the demon crab.
For Xuanyan Island was located there!
Though the island had been sunk, the foundation of its rank-four spirit vein remained.
Luo Chen was currently at the eighth layer of the Golden Core stage, just a single step away from the ninth layer, and the day of forming his Nascent Soul was drawing near.
Furthermore, every ingredient required for the Nascent Soul Formation Pill was already prepared.
The only condition he still lacked to attempt the breakthrough was a rank-four spirit vein.
Xuanyan Island was the most suitable location.
It possessed the foundation of a rank-four vein; with a bit of nurturing, it could regain its former glory. There were no formidable demon beasts in the vicinity either, which would allow Luo Chen to cultivate in peace and quietly make his attempt at the next realm.
Yet an unforeseen complication had arisen.
Though Moon Hermit had not pursued him personally, she had dispatched a demonic beast comparable to a Late Nascent Soul cultivator to hunt him down.
The most pressing task was to shake off that bizarre beast.
"I will have to venture deep into the demon sea!"
Luo Chen took a deep breath, his mind made up.
When he had first arrived in the Northern Sea, he had held immense awe and dread toward the demon sea beyond human territory.
Now, however, that fear was much diminished.
First, his strength had undergone a qualitative leap; in a direct confrontation with a Nascent Soul demon cultivator, he possessed the strength to hold his own.
Second, he had Han Zhan assisting him. Han Zhan not only commanded the capabilities of a Nascent Soul, but by going all out, he could also drive the White Tiger puppet to temporarily resist a Late Nascent Soul demon cultivator.
Finally, Luo Chen possessed a clear understanding of the Northern Sea's current geopolitical landscape.
Most of the supreme Demon Emperors were sealed away within the Arctic Yama Heavens, leaving their old lairs largely empty.
As long as he exercised caution, venturing deep into the demon sea would not be excessively perilous.
"Luo Chen, go a bit faster. That demonic beast's speed is unimaginably swift. If this continues, you will be overtaken," Han Zhan's voice sounded again.
Luo Chen furrowed his brow, marshaling his internal magic power to its limit to accelerate the wooden kite beneath his feet.
A streak of light shot across the vast sky like a falling star.
***
Several days later.
A muffled groan echoed from aboard the wooden kite.
Luo Chen asked tensely, "What happened?"
Han Zhan replied with noticeable fatigue, "The Late Golden Core puppet I left along our trail was ripped to shreds."
Luo Chen's eyes flickered with doubt and alarm. "It is moving that fast?"
Han Zhan said in a low voice, "Part of it is our own sluggish pace. Unless you abandon this Foundation Establishment junior, Sang Jinghe, and use your Heavenly Peng True Form to unleash Ninety Thousand Miles at full power, you might have a slim chance of escaping."
Luo Chen glanced at Sang Jinghe and shook his head.
Matters had not yet reached that extreme.
Besides, even if he flew at absolute maximum speed, could he truly shake off that bizarre demonic beast?
His expression turned somewhat grim.
"Something is wrong. I clearly used the Dragon Slaying Art to sever and erase any trace of my aura behind us. How can that beast still track us with such precision?"
No matter how fast one was, one still needed a direction.
Otherwise, rushing blindly would only lead in the wrong direction.
Therefore, resolving this issue was paramount. Otherwise, even if he temporarily threw off the pursuit, the beast would inevitably catch up again.
*Just what method is it using?*
Luo Chen sank into deep thought.
Han Zhan did not interrupt him. Instead, he retrieved another Golden Core puppet from his storage bag, applied several restrictions to it, and cast it down into the depths of the ocean.
***
*Whoosh!*
High in the sky, a massive moth flapped its wings, soaring across the sea.
Suddenly, a pillar of water erupted from below.
The moth opened its mouth and spat, and the water pillar instantly collapsed.
The puppet concealed within, poised to launch an attack, disintegrated into powder beneath the gray beam of light.
The moth circled the area with a hint of suspicion, then vigorously shook its head before stubbornly pressing on along its original trajectory.
***
"It is my blood essence!"
Aboard the wooden kite, Luo Chen stared at the drop of crimson blood at his fingertip, his face dark as stagnant water.
He had intended to leave Moon Hermit a surprise, but it had ended up backfiring on him.
The bizarre demonic beast she had summoned had managed to absorb traces of his blood essence from the lingering aftermath of Purple Spirit Island's explosion, locking onto his position through it.
Against such a method, even his most refined concealment arts could not shield him.
Furthermore, there was another reason for this vulnerability.
The disappearance of the Yinwei Formation!
Inside the Alchemy Hall of Mingzhao Heaven, Luo Chen had completed his physical rebirth, reconstructing his meridians and qi sea while elevating his physical aptitude.
Yet during that process of bodily nirvana, the Yinwei Formation once engraved directly onto his physique had been completely worn away.
Luo Chen had not paid attention to it before.
Now, however, it had become a critical vulnerability.
How could a temporary concealment art compare to a permanent, self-sustaining concealment formation?
Having grasped this, Luo Chen continued his deduction.
The beast had locked onto the aura of his blood essence.
Unlike that of an ordinary cultivator, Luo Chen's blood essence contained not only Golden Core magic power, but was also saturated with potent source power!
This power was so singular that it stood out like a crane among chickens against the backdrop of heaven and earth.
That was why the bizarre demonic beast was able to pursue him without deviating in the slightest.
*I cannot re-inscribe the Yinwei Formation onto my body in the short term. I must find another way.*
As the thought flashed through his mind, Luo Chen asked:
"Senior, how many puppets do you have left?"
"Only four remain. But the White Tiger puppet cannot be used lightly; it consumes far too much magic power, making it exceedingly difficult for my Nascent Soul to sustain."
"Understood. Leave one Golden Core puppet for me."
"What do you intend to do?"
"Confuse the enemy!"
Han Zhan understood in an instant.
"Also, keep an eye out for any regions nearby inhabited by powerful demon beasts," Luo Chen added.
Han Zhan asked in surprise, "You wish to shift the disaster onto someone else?"
"Precisely!"
***
Three days later.
Sang Jinghe looked at Luo Chen sitting cross-legged on the back of the wooden kite, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
Facing him sat another figure.
Yet that figure was utterly devoid of life—evidently a lifeless puppet.
Luo Chen paid no heed to Sang Jinghe. Bringing him along for now was fine, but if things truly reached a desperate juncture, Luo Chen was no rigid fool.
At present, he had to complete the final step.
A thick scarlet light arose from Luo Chen's body as streams of source power circulated outward.
Suddenly, Luo Chen let out a low shout and pressed a finger against his bare chest.
"Come forth!"
In an instant, a single drop of blood brimming with terrifying power seeped out from his heart.
Witnessing this, Sang Jinghe's heart leaped in horror.
Heart's blood!
Second only to soul blood, it ranked far above blood drawn from the tip of the tongue.
Ordinary cultivators would never dare stimulate and expend it lightly, as doing so caused grave damage to their vitality.
Yet summoning a drop of heart's blood carried far less severe consequences for Luo Chen. With his extraordinarily robust heart, he could afford to expend a single drop.
An unnatural flush flashed across Luo Chen's face as he watched the crimson blood gradually sink into the puppet's heart.
Slowly, the puppet began to exude an aura identical to Luo Chen's.
"Is it enough?" he murmured.
Sang Jinghe could not answer, and he knew well enough that the question was not directed at him, but at another powerful presence.
Sure enough, Han Zhan's voice floated over eerily.
"Against an ordinary cultivator, this technique would be sufficient to pass for the real thing. However, that bizarre moth..."
Luo Chen's expression darkened. "This is the best I can do. If worst comes to worst, we will simply have to fight it with everything we have. At least Moon Hermit did not follow. With the two of us joining forces against a single beast, there should still be a sliver of hope."
Han Zhan was not particularly optimistic.
That moth-like demonic beast was an existence that had dared to bare its fangs at Moon Hermit; it was bound to be a troublesome creature at the Late Nascent Soul level.
After a moment's thought, Han Zhan suddenly spoke up. "Let us add one more measure!"
"Oh?" Luo Chen was puzzled. Could he do even better?
Han Zhan's words drifted softly into his ears.
"Do you still remember Locking the Beaded Curtain and the Thicket Clearing Art?"
***
"Right here!"
"According to my perception, though there were one or two formidable rank-four demon beast auras along our path, the sea ahead is what causes my soul the greatest dread."
A pale-faced Luo Chen halted, bringing the wooden kite to rest atop a barren islet.
He gazed into the distance, his pupils contracting slightly.
Before his eyes stretched a vast expanse of muddy yellow, looking almost like an endless desert.
Yet when the breeze blew across it, what rose were unmistakably waves of turbid yellow water.
"What sea is this?"
"I do not know. But from my observations, the danger concealed within is no less than that of the Sunken Sea before the Land of the Fallen Demon opened. If you lure that bizarre moth in here, it may buy you enough time to escape. Well? Have you made up your mind?"
The pale-faced Luo Chen gritted his teeth and nodded heavily.
"There is no time left. Here it is!"
A moment later, the wooden kite sprang to life again, and Luo Chen steered it straight into the yellow sea.
Not long after his departure—perhaps half a day later—a silhouette arrived, churning up towering wind and waves.
It was a colossal moth.
Without the slightest hesitation, it plunged directly into the yellow sea.
Its speed was astonishing, and eager roars rumbled from its mouth.
It seemed its prey was finally within reach.
Sure enough, not far from a black ridge, it spotted the prey's back.
The prey was steering a wooden kite, swaying unsteadily as its speed slowed to a crawl.
The Star-Chasing Demonic Beast let out a strange screech and charged straight ahead.
His thoughts hazy and muddled, Luo Chen groggily turned around, only to see the moth open its maw and exhale a beam of gray light.
As the gray light reached his body, a brief moment of clarity pierced his clouded consciousness.
Rather than looking at the moth, he turned his head to gaze toward the black ridge confronting the yellow sea, as if a fragment of memory were surfacing in his mind.
"This is the Sev—"
Before his murmur could finish, a deep, rhythmic hum resounded from the depths of the ocean below.
Immediately after, endless yellow waves surged forth from every direction.
Faced with this spectacle, the Star-Chasing Demonic Beast instinctively abandoned its pursuit of Luo Chen, fluttering its wings in a desperate bid to take flight.
Yet beneath the wash of the yellow waves, all thought seemed to turn sluggish.
The massive moth was swept beneath the surface by a colossal wave, dragging the nearby Luo Chen along with it.
Soon, wet crunching sounds echoed from beneath the sea.
Suddenly, an exasperated voice rang out:
"Damn it! Why did he run here?!"
A ray of ghostly light emerged from the deep sea, stumbling wildly in an effort to flee the yellow waters.
Yet as the waves rolled over, that ray of ghostly light was ultimately submerged into the abyss.
Thereafter, the skies cleared and the wind fell still.
All that remained was the tranquil, turbid yellow sea and that black ridge, resting between heaven and earth like a spine sheared by a blade.
***
"Ugh..."
A muffled groan escaped the lips of a woman high in the heavens.
Rubbing her brow, shock flashed through her eyes.
The Star-Chasing Demonic Beast was dead!
The split soul she had attached to it had also dispersed.
Even in the fragmented memories transmitted before its demise, Demonic Lord Qingyang had met his end within that boundless yellow sea.
Her terrified gaze drifted slowly downward toward that quiet, turbid ocean, which seemed like a monstrous maw opening unseen in the depths.
"This is the Yellow Springs Sea... and that mountain... Soul Severing Cliff!"
Moon Hermit's body trembled slightly as every calculation she had made fell to ruin.
With her intellect, how could she not have anticipated Luo Chen's cunning? Since he had left a surprise on Purple Spirit Island, he was bound to have other methods of monitoring her.
Furthermore, compared to the rumored opportunity for the Heaven Refining Demon Lord to ascend to the Body Integration stage, the Myriad Immortals Association was simply not worth mentioning.
Therefore, even after receiving the distress message from the Association, she had not given up pursuing Luo Chen.
Naturally, an overt pursuit would have placed excessive pressure on him.
Thus, on the surface, she had dispatched only the Star-Chasing Demonic Beast to hunt him, lulling him into lowering his guard, while she secretly circled around, concealing her tracks and trailing him step by step.
Until she arrived at this yellow sea.
Only to watch helplessly as her split soul and the Star-Chasing Demonic Beast summoned from the Myriad Beasts Chart perished within.
And Luo Chen, the prey she had pursued, had recklessly fled straight into a realm of certain death.
*If I enter now, would I have a chance of retrieving that wisp of gray light?*
The moment the thought arose, Moon Hermit crushed it without hesitation.
Soul Severing Cliff was one of the foremost forbidden grounds in the entire Northern Sea!
Those who had emerged alive from its depths were few and far between, whether Nascent Soul True Persons or even Soul Formation experts!
Rumor had it that only the Soul Refining Patriarch of the Yuan Demon Sect had ever explored it and returned alive, reaping a tremendous harvest. Yet that had occurred only once; after that excursion, the Soul Refining Patriarch had never ventured toward Soul Severing Cliff again.
With her current cultivation, barging inside would only lead to the same fate that had befallen Demonic Lord Qingyang.
Taking a deep breath, Moon Hermit cast a lingering look toward the calm sea, then tore through the air and departed.
When she attained the Soul Formation stage!
When she achieved complete mastery over the Myriad Beasts Chart!
At that time, she would personally enter the Yellow Springs Sea and step foot upon Soul Severing Cliff!
Chapter 705