Chapter 94: The Black Cliff Old Demon’s New Plan!

The cultivator stationed aboard the Azure Goat was Jin Zhao, a cultivator at the eighth level of Foundation Establishment.

The instant he sensed the demonic aura, he immediately activated the vessel’s formation.

The other Foundation Establishment cultivators aboard the vessel also noticed the translucent motes in turn and struck them apart one after another.

After hearing the commotion, Shen Lian also made a show of waving his spiritual power about in his room.

“All fellow Daoists at the Foundation Establishment stage, gather in the vessel’s pavilion.”

Jin Zhao’s voice echoed throughout the ship.

A demon cultivator had boarded the vessel; this was no small matter.

Aside from the three Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed aboard, there were five more, Shen Lian included. Soon, they had all appeared together in the pavilion.

Of course, Qi Chengzan was among them as well.

Inside the pavilion, Jin Zhao looked toward Shen Lian and the other four.

“Fellow Daoists, a demon cultivator has infiltrated the vessel. For the sake of caution, the five of you should rest here in the pavilion for the time being. Would that be acceptable?”

As he spoke, Jin Zhao held a round disc in his hand: the control disc for the vessel’s formation, now activated and shimmering with spiritual light.

“What Fellow Daoist Jin says is reasonable.”

One of the cultivators spoke at once.

Most of the Foundation Establishment cultivators traveling on this vessel were heading to Turtle Stone Immortal City to purchase resources.

And aside from Shen Lian and Qi Chengzan, the other three were not riding the Azure Goat for the first time.

All three were elders or clan chiefs of various Foundation Establishment families.

“Then we’ll follow Fellow Daoist Jin’s lead.”

Shen Lian chimed in as well. He did not care in the slightest; he merely wanted to see how this fellow beside him would perform.

If not for having seen the entire chain of events, he truly would never have guessed that this middle-aged cultivator, all stern dignity and commanding presence, was actually wearing a righteous-sect disguise.

“Then we’ll follow Fellow Daoist Jin’s lead.” Qi Chengzan nodded to the assembled Foundation Establishment cultivators and then gave a soft laugh, his expression showing not the slightest abnormality.

Not long after, the other two Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed aboard the vessel appeared.

“Elder Jin, aside from the soul-will motes discovered earlier, no other demonic aura has been found.”

Jin Zhao nodded. He had already used the vessel’s core formation disc to sweep the entire ship three times in succession, and had found no other trace of demonic aura.

“Demon cultivators are cunning and inscrutable. We must remain careful.”

Jin Zhao spoke quietly, instructing the two Foundation Establishment cultivators to guard the bow and stern of the vessel respectively, while he continuously split off a portion of his divine sense into the core control disc.

The pavilion was precisely the region covered by the heart of the vessel’s formation; once the formation was activated, the pavilion would be the first place to bear the brunt of it.

As for who the demon cultivator was, Jin Zhao actually did not wish to drag them out. Doing so would easily breed resentment and cause trouble for the Azure Goat.

He only hoped the vessel could remain peaceful all the way, and if there truly was a demon cultivator aboard, that they would disembark at the next stop.

What he feared most was that the demon cultivator’s true target might be the Azure Goat itself.

If that were really the case, the price would be immense.

Inside the pavilion, the Foundation Establishment cultivators each sat cross-legged apart from one another, all guarded and wary.

Shen Lian was somewhat curious how the fellow beside him had concealed his demonic aura.

What an impressive righteous-cultivator act. He wondered whether he could copy a set of that method for study.

Of course, watching the show was one thing.

Inside his dantian, the Heavenly Evolution Jade Talisman was already at the ready.

In the storage bracelet on his left wrist, two sets of Heavenly Can and Earthly Fiend Thunderfire Talisman Arrays remained.

In the bracelet on his right wrist, ordinary jade talismans could fly out with a single thought.

As for the Ten Thousand Mile Divine Movement Talisman and the Five-Elements Spirit Puppet, they were already in position.

At the first hint of trouble, Shen Lian was certain he would be the first to cut his way out.

In an instant, the atmosphere aboard the vessel grew oppressive.

The Qi Refining cultivators on board trembled one by one, terrified that the demon cultivator might suddenly strike.

On the pavilion level, Jin Zhao held the core formation disc in hand, his gaze sweeping back and forth over the five Foundation Establishment cultivators before him while he also divided off divine sense to inspect the entire vessel.

Even though three of those Foundation Establishment cultivators had exchanged a few words with him before, at a time like this no one could be trusted.

Under Jin Zhao’s constant scrutiny, the Foundation Establishment cultivators had no mood for meditation. They simply stared at one another, each seeing the wariness in the others’ eyes.

Thus several days passed in a row. Though everyone’s expressions seemed to soften somewhat, their vigilance had not been relaxed in the slightest.

Jin Zhao, for his part, was suffering in silence. Keeping the vessel’s formation running continuously would consume more spirit stones than this voyage could possibly earn.

Yet he could not leave the formation inactive either. The Azure Goat Alliance controlled only this single route. It was a bit remote, but it was at least a livelihood that brought spirit stones into the alliance.

If a demon cultivator truly showed up to cause trouble, setting aside the vessel’s damage and casualties, it would also harm the route’s reputation.

Jin Zhao wore a long face.

The Foundation Establishment cultivators likewise looked none too pleased.

Having been gathered together for several days, Qi Chengzan had finally found an opportunity to observe the cultivators around him, and now even he was beginning to doubt himself.

Was the cultivator who had slain Xiang Jingying still aboard the vessel or not?

The blood grub had not reacted at all. He had probably lost the trail.

It was not that he lacked ability; the culprit was simply too cunning.

Another five days passed, and the Azure Goat was about to descend at the next stop, Cloudflight Island.

Just as the vessel was about to land, a storage bag appeared in Jin Zhao’s hand. He tossed it toward the vessel’s rail outside the pavilion.

“Please accept this, Daoist friend.”

Jin Zhao cupped his fists toward the empty air, not addressing any of the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the pavilion.

“This is only a small token of the Azure Goat’s regard, hardly worthy of your acceptance. Mountains do not turn, waters do; the Azure Goat Alliance is grateful.”

Once the Azure Goat had landed on Cloudflight Island, the Qi Refining cultivators aboard poured down in a crowd.

Traveling on the same vessel as a demon cultivator was far too exciting.

Watching the Qi Refining cultivators disembark in a rush, Jin Zhao twitched at the corner of his mouth.

“Fellow Daoists need not panic. The Azure Goat will remain on Cloudflight Island for three days, and our alliance master, True Man Ten Thousand Flames, will personally come to oversee matters.”

Under Jin Zhao’s gaze, Shen Lian rose from the pavilion and headed toward the island.

As he disembarked, he saw the storage bag hanging from the rail.

So this was the practice of spending money to ward off disaster.

Shen Lian did not think much of such a drink-poison-to-quench-thirst remedy. It would only embolden the demon cultivator further.

But every person had their own helplessness. He had not expected that after leaving Thousand Kings Island, he would run into this entire string of absurd incidents, and that so many cultivators would be affected by them.

Jin Zhao was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but he was also a businessman, one who believed in harmony bringing wealth. His actions were not unreasonable.

The key point was that this whole matter had been caused by Shen Lian himself.

And the other instigator was also aboard the vessel. The two of them had even put on the same look of unease before the demon cultivator.

It was truly something else.

After Shen Lian left the vessel, he found that Qi Chengzan disembarked soon after, and he could not help becoming alert.

The place where the Azure Goat landed was the plaza outside Cloudflight City. As Shen Lian walked toward the city, he casually kept an eye on what was behind him.

At the same time, he had been continuously sensing the divine-sense talisman贴 to his body, yet he felt no fluctuation from it all along the way.

Qi Chengzan, who had also disembarked, instead flew in the direction of Cloudflight Island’s outer sea.

Shen Lian watched him disappear into the farthest edge where water and sky became one, and only then slowly withdrew his gaze.

Just now he had been wondering: if that man had followed him, should he follow him in turn and kill him off?

Still, it was fine that he had run. Now that he knew this man was a disciple of Black Cliff Old Ancestor, the next time they met he would have an early warning.

He had not even gathered enough money for the materials to make another Heavenly Evolution Jade Talisman. He was in no position to act tough at all.

Unless necessary, it was still better not to be rude before a Golden Core ancestor.

Only then did Shen Lian head out over the boundless ocean beyond Cloudflight Island.

It was hardest to hide oneself over the endless sea. He also sent the Five-Elements Spirit Puppet into the water, waiting for prey to come of its own accord, but after half a day there was no movement.

It seemed he really had gone.

Only then did he summon Ding San, take the Joy Elixir and the Mixed-Pairs-and-Entwined-Phenixes Elixir, and head toward Cloudflight City.

From today on, he would be delivering joy to his fellow Daoists.

...

The outer sea beyond Cloudflight Island.

On a remote island.

Inside a cavern opened deep within the earth, a concealment formation was operating.

Nine blood candles burned, their dripping blood thick and crimson as paste. Their glow cast shifting red light throughout the cavern, stretching Qi Chengzan’s shadow long across the ground.

Qi Chengzan stood at the center of the blood candles, both hands holding a bronze candlestick. A gust swirled up from the candlestick, gathering the heated blood-smoke rising from the nine candles around him into a single, pulsing mass of blood fire.

Within the flicker of that blood fire, a twisted and indistinct figure could be seen.

“The Blood Soul Pearl has been received.”

A voice, impossible to tell whether male or female, rang out from within the blood-fire figure.

“Master, this disciple was incompetent.”

Qi Chengzan dropped to his knees with a thud. Although this matter had a reason behind it, the more he tried to defend himself before Black Cliff, the more disastrous it would become.

The cavern fell into silence.

Qi Chengzan did not even dare breathe loudly.

“Speak.”

After a long while, the voice sounded again from within the blood fire.

“Reporting to Master, this disciple was ordered to keep watch over the outer sea of Thousand Kings Island, waiting for Junior Brother Xiang and the others...”

Qi Chengzan did not dare conceal anything. He recounted the matter exactly as it had happened, including how he had pursued them from Yu Mountain Island to Lotus-Offering Island, and how, in the end, some problem caused him to lose the trail.

At last, he cautiously voiced his suspicion: the Blood Demon Tracking Technique might have been erased.

“Someone who can erase the Blood Demon Tracking Technique...”

Black Cliff Old Ancestor’s tone revealed a trace of interest.

“This person also threw Junior Brother Jingying’s artifacts, along with everything related to the demonic path, into the sea. When this disciple gave chase, I happened to retrieve them, so there was no longer any way to search for clues from the artifacts.”

Qi Chengzan was also aggrieved. With the tracking technique worn away and the artifacts that could identify the aura of cultivation methods and secret arts also cast away, it was no wonder he had been unable to catch up.

If those artifacts had remained, he could still have gone to the black market and tried his luck.

“Get up. This was not your fault. Your master has already obtained the Blood Soul Pearl through another channel.”

Black Cliff Old Ancestor’s tone shifted. “Such a cautious person would truly have been a pity not to take into my sect.”

Qi Chengzan kept his head lowered, his expression showing not the slightest change. He had known all along that the Black Cliff devil was meticulous and flawless in his dealings.

He was merely one piece on the board; there were others who had obtained the Blood Soul Pearl.

“Please instruct me, Master. What should I do next? This disciple is willing to atone through merit.”

“Do you want revenge for Jingying and the other two?”

At those words, Qi Chengzan grew highly alert.

Do I want it... or not...

Black Cliff Old Ancestor had countless disciples, and the number slain by the major sects was beyond counting.

If all of them were to be avenged, then the greatest enemy would surely be the Azure Sea Sect.

One might ask: in the Myriad Stars Sea, who had ever heard of Black Cliff Old Ancestor avenging a disciple?

“Disciple... this disciple will obey Master’s orders in all things.”

After a brief silence, Black Cliff Old Ancestor’s voice sounded again.

“Where are you now?”

“This disciple is on Cloudflight Island in the northwestern seas. The nearest major immortal city is Turtle Stone Immortal City.”

“Turtle Stone Immortal City?”

Black Cliff Old Ancestor’s eyes narrowed, a few traces of thought appearing within them.

After a long while, he said, “Go directly to Turtle Stone Immortal City and await your chance. When a Blood Demon Arrow appears, you will strike and assist in creating chaos within the city.”

“Yes.”

Qi Chengzan was startled, yet he did not dare ask further. Only after the blood fire on the candlestick faded away did he finally dare to breathe a little easier.

Turtle Stone Immortal City. Create chaos.

That was not something he alone could pull off.

All at once, a terrifying guess rose in Qi Chengzan’s heart.

Black Cliff old... Master, he is going to...