Chapter 75: Nowhere to Be Found—Pei Huoyu on the Brink of Madness
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Beyond Black Whale Island.
On the boundless expanse of the ocean, not a single other cultivator could be seen in any direction.
Shen Lian, navigating the Flying Fish Spirit Vessel, shimmered with spiritual light as he stowed the vessel into his storage pouch. Then, with another flash of light, he soared into the air unaided.
Having reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he could now travel through the sky without relying on any magic tools.
He wobbled above the sea for a quarter of an hour, gradually mastering his posture—sometimes rising, sometimes dipping, at times swift, at times slow.
He could fly now.
Truth be told, he had scarcely experienced flight before, nor had he often ridden magic tools—mainly for fear of drawing attention.
After a while, he released the Flying Fish Vessel once more.
“Next time I upgrade my vessel, I must pick one of higher grade, lest it becomes obsolete too quickly,” he murmured.
The Flying Fish Spirit Vessel’s speed matched that of a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator on a flying sword, but with Shen Lian now at Foundation Establishment, this equipment lagged behind.
He resolved to save up spirit stones for a replacement.
He journeyed to Black Rock Island, where, in response to his summons, Sanqian emerged from the cracks between the deepwater rocks.
“Blub-blub…”
To avoid detection by other cultivators, Sanqian remained hidden in deep water for cultivation, a storage pouch full of spirit beast pills hanging from its scales.
After sending Sanqian back into the water, Shen Lian ascended Black Rock Island to inspect the Blackhorn Ant nest. Finding nothing amiss, he entered the safe cavern.
A hum resounded.
The Five Elements Mountain, shimmering with multicolored spiritual light, appeared in his hand.
The spiritual nature of this artifact, nurtured under his care, had multiplied several times since he first acquired it. The internal halo of colors even showed signs of a second ring forming.
This was why he dared not bring it out in Black Whale City. Though the odds of a Golden Core cultivator noticing were slim, the risk remained.
Golden Core cultivators were keen and knowledgeable. Should one sense spiritual fluctuations beyond the artifact’s apparent grade, who could guarantee they would not be tempted?
Even if the cultivator was not of five-elemental root, they could still wield a full-element artifact—only with slightly diminished power.
Moreover, the Nascent Soul patriarchs of the cultivation world all coveted the Five-Colored Stones; surely not all of them possessed five elemental roots.
Most Nascent Soul patriarchs achieved the Dao with high-quality single or dual roots; why, then, did they prize the Five-Colored Stones?
Shen Lian surmised that these patriarchs must have secret methods to refine artifacts from Five-Colored Stones to suit their unique cultivation paths.
This alone could explain why sects recruited so many stone nurturers.
He channeled five-element spiritual power from his dantian into the Five Elements Mountain.
Before he established his Foundation, his dominant fire root had so suppressed the other four that, in preparation, Shen Lian had deliberately strengthened them.
But upon advancing, his observation of the boundless sea of fire enhanced his fire spiritual power once again, relegating the other four to mere supporting roles.
He attuned himself to the rhythm of the Five Elements aura within the mountain, immersing his consciousness within.
...
“How can it be gone!”
“How can it be gone!”
“How can it be gone!”
As dusk fell, Pei Huoyu circled Black Whale City, inching his way past the treasure ships moored at the harbor.
His eyes, shadowed with fury and menace, burned with suppressed rage.
Having found no trace within the city, he had broadened his search radius.
He had scoured every corner in and around Black Whale City countless times, yet the precise location continued to elude him.
The fluctuations of the Five Elements Mountain appeared as fleeting as an epiphyllum blossom—vanishing as soon as they surfaced.
The owner was as slippery as an eel, impossible to grasp.
Clearly, he was in the city—yet he could not be found.
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Why would anyone hide such an artifact and not use it?
What purpose could it serve—merely as firewood?
“I sensed it, I’m sure of it!”
As time passed, Pei Huoyu’s anger curdled into resentment. His desire to tear limb from limb the one who had taken the Five Elements Mountain only grew.
“Could he have left Black Whale City already?”
His gaze, imbued with a faintly predatory gleam, swept over the treasure ships at the docks.
“No, impossible. He must still be here.”
After years of painstaking search, now that he’d finally found a trail, Pei Huoyu’s eyes shone with a touch of fevered obsession.
Black Whale Island, as one of the central isles of the Myriad Star Sea, was plied by countless treasure ships and spirit vessels.
This was nothing like his trek north from the wilds, doggedly following the main routes—here, any vessel could go in any direction, toward any island, with ease.
If the cultivator with the Five Elements Mountain departed now, Pei Huoyu would have no way to track him, and once more be cast adrift in a sea of needles.
“Damn it! Damn it!”
“He’s still here. He must be here!”
Pei Huoyu muttered, having condensed “Five Element Dao Seeds” repeatedly. Weariness gnawed at him.
Though he had pills and beast blood elixirs to replenish himself, such constant depletion of his essence, without time to recover, had already shaken his foundation.
“What are you looking at? Get lost!”
As Pei Huoyu shuffled past a treasure ship flying the Xu family’s banner, a scornful rebuke rang out.
A young cultivator in splendid robes, indifferent, spat out the insult before retreating inside.
To cloak the aura of his “Five Element Dao Seed,” Pei Huoyu wore a voluminous black robe, shrouding himself so completely he might have passed for a vagabond rogue cultivator.
His presence, masked by a breath-concealing technique, betrayed no hint of Foundation Establishment power.
He had not come this far without enemies.
Though Ancestor Ziyang had vanished, his Golden Core disciple, Master Qingyun, remained at large.
Pei Huoyu’s gaze darkened as he studied the crest on the treasure ship, his eyes turning razor-sharp.
He had spent an exorbitant sum on pills along the way—where had he found so many spirit stones?
If the fool chose to cross his path, Pei Huoyu would not hesitate to take everything.
...
Out on the waters beyond Black Whale Island.
A treasure ship bearing the Xu family’s banner listed, half-sunken, on the sea. Corpses strewed the deck, blood staining the surrounding waters crimson.
“Who are you? When has the Xu family ever offended you?”
Elder Xu Tinggui, third elder of the Xu family, stood pale-faced, his robe scorched and blood oozing from his lips as spiritual backlash took its toll. He had been utterly outmatched in the exchange.
He could not fathom when such a formidable cultivator had set his sights on them.
This journey to Black Whale City was only to sell the family’s store of spirit rice, herbs, and minerals amassed over years.
For this, they had installed a top-tier second-rank warding array on the ship—yet the attacker possessed a Forbidden-Breaking Pearl.
He could not help but suspect this was a premeditated ambush against the Xu family.
If they lost everything, the family’s operations would be crippled.
“I’ve already signaled the elders. Our Eighth-Level Foundation Establishment Elder is nearby—”
Pei Huoyu only sneered in reply. With a sweep of his hands, five-colored spiritual light burst from his palms, coalescing into a radiant halo that crashed downward.
This was only the opening strike. At its core shone five dazzling colors, its rim edged with crimson flame, forming a mighty palm that descended upon Xu Tinggui.
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Sensing mortal peril, Xu Tinggui summoned several second-tier talismans—towering waves took the shape of sea beasts, surging toward Pei Huoyu as he tried to flee.
But beneath the five-colored palm, the conjured sea beasts lasted but two heartbeats before evaporating into nothing.
Thunder boomed.
Seeing his talismans fail, Xu Tinggui tried to bring forth his artifact to shield himself, but the five-colored halo had already descended, making his spiritual power sluggish and unresponsive.
In that brief moment of hesitation, the Five Elements Fire Palm crashed down, engulfing him.
“I have sent the signal! The Xu family—”
Xu Tinggui’s voice was a ragged, desperate scream, but the only answer was an even more violent surge of five-element spiritual power.
Crack.
The protective spell around him shattered. Xu Tinggui was consumed by the elemental force, his bones dropping to the deck.
Pei Huoyu waved a hand, collecting the remains, then leaped onto the treasure ship, coldly gathering his spoils.
Such scenes had long become routine—every spirit stone spent on medicine along the way had been “collected” from other cultivators like this.
The Xu family’s timing was unfortunate.
Standing atop the skewed ship, reeking of blood, Pei Huoyu’s aura grew ever more savage, bloodshot veins creeping into his eyes.
He struggled to summon a thread of clarity, but was soon overwhelmed by the bloodlust.
“Clear as water, water as the heart… tranquil as a placid lake… clear as water…”
“Ah—”
A guttural roar escaped him as he clutched his head.
“Who… show yourself!”
His divine sense swept over his body, elemental power surging out of control. Spell after spell flew from his hands, blasting the surrounding sea.
No matter how he searched, he found nothing amiss within himself.
Yet Pei Huoyu was certain something was wrong—he could not have become like this otherwise.
Thunder rumbled.
Beneath the barrage of five-element spells, the treasure ship quickly sank into the waves.
He had chosen this stretch of sea for its remoteness. Though other cultivators had passed by during the fight, one glimpse had sent them fleeing in terror.
“Clear as water, water as the heart…”
After venting his fury through a barrage of spells and chanting the mantra again and again, the bloodshot haze in Pei Huoyu’s eyes dimmed a little, though the aura of violence still lingered.
“Where is he!”
Resentment pooled in his gaze, his hatred for the one who had taken the Five Elements Mountain reaching a fevered pitch.
Had it not been for this person, he would have hidden the artifact long ago—and would not now be on the brink of losing control.
“Hmm…”
As he surveyed the mountain of spirit stones in his storage ring, Pei Huoyu’s eyes suddenly froze.
He snatched out the “Five Element Dao Seed.”
The five-colored light flared brilliantly, sending sparks in all directions.
A low hum rang out.
Pei Huoyu’s eyes lit up with sudden clarity—the “Five Element Dao Seed” had responded.
He had found it!
He had found it!
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