From within the dense fog, a group of bizarrely dressed Tribulation Cultivators charged out.
Their Cultivation levels varied, but without exception, they all carried the vicious aura of seasoned killers.
Zhu Ju had guessed correctly.
This group of Tribulation Cultivators was the infamous South Sea Cave Ghosts.
Or rather,
a part of the South Sea Cave Ghosts.
They had been invited by the Yunjing Commerce Association’s Fang Family to participate in the siege against the Yann Family. Upon success, they would get to divide a portion of the Yann Family’s assets.
"Kill!"
The sky-shattering battle cries rang out.
The sound trembled one’s Divine Soul and weakened their will to fight; it was a type of Magic in itself.
Streaks of light flew out from the dense fog.
All sorts of Magical Artifacts, Talismans, and Divine Thunder swept toward them, instantly blasting a group of Innate Qi Refiners to smithereens.
"A misunderstanding!"
Yuann Mo retreated repeatedly, shouting loudly,
"Fellow Daoists, this is a misunderstanding! That Zhu Ju is our enemy as well! We can hand him over to you."
"Hmph!"
A man strode out of the dense fog, his eyes cold as he surveyed them.
"A few days ago, several of our brothers died at your hands. What’s more, you even stole our goods."
"Kill them all!"
"Don’t let a single one escape!"
"Find the one surnamed Zhu! I want to avenge my older brother personally!"
The newcomer was bare-chested and powerfully built, wielding a trident about ten feet long, looking like a fierce military general from the mortal world.
As he strode forward, a tangible, ferocious aura washed over them, making it hard to breathe.
Kou Wu!
One of the few Late-Stage Dao Foundation Cultivators among the South Sea Cave Ghosts. Kou Wen, who had died at Zhu Ju’s hands, was his older brother.
Kou Wen, Kou Wu. Just from their names, one could tell they were brothers.
"Kill!"
The Tribulation Cultivators’ eyes gleamed with excitement as they lunged at the crowd. Among them were a few familiar faces who had escaped several days ago.
Back then, Chen Tong, Zhu Ju, and the others had been implicated because of Yuann Mo’s group.
And now,
because of Zhu Ju, they had provoked an even stronger expert.
One could only say it was all fated; no one could escape their karma.
"Fight them to the death!"
Yuann Mo’s eyes widened. He summoned a shuttle-shaped Magical Artifact and sent it crashing toward several people in front of him, calling for the others to attack.
"Don’t break formation!"
Although defeat was certain, as long as they held their ground, there was a chance to escape. Once chaos erupted, no one would get away.
Everyone understood the logic.
But faced with the murderous, howling charge of the Tribulation Cultivators, only a few could remain calm and orderly.
SWOOSH...
The Innate Qi Refiners were the first to break, turning to flee in all directions, followed closely by the Dao Foundation Cultivators.
"Hmph!"
Kou Wu’s face was filled with contempt. His figure flickered, and he appeared before an Early Stage Dao Foundation Cultivator. With a simple flick of his trident, he pierced a bloody hole through the man’s body. The cultivator’s Protective Spiritual Light was utterly useless.
His body seemed to be enveloped by a current of water, invisible to the naked eye. Others’ attacks landed on it, causing ripples, but couldn’t harm him in the slightest.
The trident pierced and flashed, unstoppable. In the blink of an eye, Yuann Mo and his group were plunged into despair.
Meanwhile,
"Association Leader."
Chen Tong was still in a daze when he felt a hand grab his wrist, pulling him helplessly back into the dense fog.
"Fellow Daoist Zhu."
"Fellow Daoist Huu?"
"It’s us." Zhu Ju nodded, glancing fearfully at the military general-like figure who was slaughtering everyone, and spoke in a low voice,
"While Yuann Mo is holding them back, let’s get out of here."
Kou Wu was a Late-Stage Dao Foundation Cultivator, and he was suspected of wielding a Magical Treasure. Zhu Ju had little confidence in facing such power head-on.
Besides,
he wasn’t alone; he had many helpers.
"Right."
Huu Lishu nodded anxiously.
"Let’s go, quickly."
"But..." Chen Tong glanced back, a look of pity on his face. All of his disciples were back there.
"Association Leader,"
Zhu Ju shook his head.
"If we don’t leave now, it’ll be too late."
"Agh!" Chen Tong stomped his foot. He was not an indecisive person, after all. He looked away and nodded firmly.
"Where there’s life, there’s hope."
"Let’s go!"
...
「Two hours later.」
The three of them appeared near the back-mountain Marketplace. The Marketplace itself was just a short distance ahead, and they could faintly hear the sounds of people.
"You two,"
Zhu Ju stopped walking.
"It’s time we went our separate ways."
"Separate?" Huu Lishu was taken aback and asked, confused,
"Aren’t you going to the Marketplace, Fellow Daoist?"
"No." Zhu Ju shook his head.
"I killed that Kou Wu’s brother. If I’m not mistaken, the South Sea Cave Ghosts were invited here by either the Fang Family or the Sunx Family. Even hiding in the Marketplace might not be safe. I plan to leave Yunjing Island."
"Leave?" A flicker of movement in Chen Tong’s eyes.
"You have a way to leave this place?"
"Yes." Zhu Ju nodded.
"But it can only get me out of here alone."
"..." Chen Tong sighed softly.
"That’s a real shame."
Yunjing Island was once a sanctuary in the East Sea Cultivation World, but now it has become a battlefield ravaged by Tribulation Cultivators.
If he could leave,
he would choose to leave as well.
"Even if you escort a friend a thousand miles, you must eventually part." Zhu Ju cupped his fists.
"After leaving, I will be heading to the Ten Thousand Mountains. I fear we will not meet again in this lifetime. Take care, you two!"
"You too, take care!" Chen Tong said with emotion.
"My only regret is that we’ve known each other for so long but never had a proper gathering."
"Fellow Daoist." Huu Lishu’s beautiful eyes darted about, her expression shifting. She then took something out and handed it to him.
"Thank you for your help. This is a small token of my appreciation, please accept it."
Zhu Ju took it and swept his Divine Thought over it. His expression changed slightly, growing solemn.
’Such a generous gift...’
"Thank you very much!"
"I am the one who should be thanking you," Huu Lishu said, shaking her head.
"If it weren’t for you, Fellow Daoist, I’m afraid I would have perished long ago."
"Take care!"
"Take care!"
The three of them cupped their fists, knowing in their hearts that after this parting, they would likely never see each other again.
*
*
*
The dense fog covered the entire island, obscuring sight, distorting perception, and causing people to lose their way.
The Tier Three Array prohibited flying and tunneling, making rapid movement an extravagant hope.
In short,
it made it impossible for people to leave the island.
Fortunately,
Zhu Ju had been on the island for many years. Although he wasn’t familiar with every blade of grass and tree, he knew the general layout.
With a little trial and error, he could find the right direction.
’Kou Wu of the South Sea Cave Ghosts, the unknown murderer who killed Dao Foundation Cultivators, the Demon Cultivator hiding his identity, the feud between the Yann Family and other families...’
’There are still many unresolved matters on the island, but...’
’it’s best to leave as soon as possible!’
Zhu Ju didn’t seek perfection, only stability.
He had already obtained the subsequent Nautical Chart from Yann Ying. Even alone, he was quite confident he could navigate his way out of the East Sea.
’Nothing!’
’What a pity.’
After carefully searching through the spoils he had taken from Yu Lou, Zhu Ju shook his head in frustration.
That True Words Spell was incredibly powerful.
Even in the Jade Void Sect, it would be considered a core, top-tier legacy. If he could get his hands on it, his strength would increase dramatically.
But unfortunately,
Yu Lou had no Cultivation Method related to it on his person, only a Token engraved with True Words.
This was quite normal.
Dao Foundation Cultivators had eidetic memories. Unless they planned to sell a technique or leave it for their descendants, they wouldn’t write it down.
For something like a Cultivation Technique Secret Manual, even memorizing it wasn’t completely safe, let alone writing it down in a book.
’The True Words Sect?’
Holding the Token, Zhu Ju turned it over and over, a look of confusion in his eyes.
’Does such a Sect exist in the world?’
Whether in Dazhou or the East Sea Cultivation World, as far as he knew, there was no so-called ’True Words Sect’.
Could it be,
that it was truly an ancient Sect?
Given the True Words techniques Yu Lou had displayed, if such a school existed, it couldn’t possibly be unknown.
Finding no answer, he decided to stop thinking about it. Zhu Ju put away the Token and with a flip of his hand, took out a sheet of dark yellow paper.
’Wine recipes...’
’Fellow Daoist Huu is so thoughtful!’
Before they parted, Huu Lishu had actually given him the Drunken Daoist’s wine-brewing recipes.
The recipes that Yu Lou had coveted, which could serve as the foundation of a family’s legacy, had fallen into Zhu Ju’s hands just like that.
There were twelve recipes in total.
Including the Thousand-Day Intoxication, which could increase a Dao Foundation Cultivator’s Cultivation, every single recipe was a priceless treasure.
"Hm?"
Just as he was examining the recipes, Zhu Ju stopped in his tracks. He put away the paper, summoned his Flying Sword, and looked into the dense fog ahead.
"Fellow Daoists, are you trying to block my path?"
The dense fog roiled.
One person walked out from the front and another from the side. The auras of Dao Foundation Cultivators emerged.
The two were dressed in black Magical Robes and wore masks of a wolf and a tiger. Two Flying Swords spun rapidly around them.
"Fellow Daoist, your senses are sharp."
The Wolf-Masked Cultivator looked at Zhu Ju and spoke slowly.
"We two brothers were forced to set up a checkpoint here, to borrow some Spirit Stones from travelers."
"Heh..."
"Since you’ve discovered us, let’s just call it a friendly encounter. Please, go on, Fellow Daoist!"
He moved to the side, clearing the path.
The Tiger-Masked Cultivator also took a step back. Although they chose to back down, neither of them lowered their guard.
’Tribulation Cultivators!’
’The island is really getting more and more chaotic. Even Dao Foundation Cultivators are ’openly’ becoming Tribulation Cultivators.’
Zhu Ju glanced at the narrow valley ahead, a Spiritual Light flashing in his eyes, and then headed toward a pond to the side.
’There’s an Array in the valley!’
’I’ll go around!’
His choice seemed to catch the two by surprise. The Tiger-Masked Cultivator moved, about to strike.
But he was stopped by a look from the Wolf-Masked Cultivator beside him.
"Farewell!"
As the distance between them grew, Zhu Ju cupped his fists. His figure flickered, about to cross the pond to take the detour.
Just then,
"SPLASH!"
the pond suddenly exploded. Dozens of arm-thick tentacles shot out, wrapping around Zhu Ju as fast as lightning.
"Do it!"
the Wolf-Masked Cultivator shouted, and the Flying Sword beside him shot out like a bolt of lightning.
The other Tiger-Masked Cultivator let out a strange cry and lunged forward, his body transforming into a phantom as he charged.
"Ngh!"
The tentacles coiled around his body, palm-sized suckers clinging tightly to his clothes, yanking him down with savage force.
Caught in mid-air with no leverage, Zhu Ju was dragged into the pond.
’A trap!’
Zhu Ju suddenly understood. The Array in the valley was just a Blinding Technique; this pond was the real Killing Move.
’If I’d gone through the valley, it might have been safer.’
He had already connected his Three Spirits and his Physical Body was powerful, yet he had still failed to defend against the tentacles’ sneak attack. It was clear the Demon in the pond was formidable.
"Emerge!"
"SHING SHING SHING..."
Zhu Ju’s shoulders twitched. A pair of metallic wings unfolded from his back, forcibly pushing the tentacles away from his body.
"Shred!"
He formed a seal with his Sword Formulas.
The Wind and Thunder Blade Wings suddenly spun.
Hundreds of blades, like a madly spinning grindstone, caught all the tentacles.
"Wooo..."
A sorrowful cry came from the bottom of the water. Tentacles and blade-lights thrashed in the pond as bloody water mixed with mud churned and surged.
"Xiaohui!"
The Tiger-Masked Cultivator let out a furious roar. His figure flashed and appeared before Zhu Ju, his hands forming claws as he swiped down.
"BANG!"
Zhu Ju’s figure abruptly froze.
Both were shocked at the same time.
’A Body Refining Cultivator!’
’No!’
Zhu Ju instantly came to his senses. The other party was not a Body Refining Cultivator, but a practitioner of the Evil Dao who had refined a Demon Beast’s Soul into his own body.
The Physical Bodies of such cultivators were extremely tough, no less so than a Body Refining Cultivator’s, but their bodies often showed signs of mutation.
At the same time,
the two Flying Swords slashed over.
A Demon Beast, an Evil Dao practitioner, Flying Swords—two Dao Foundation Tribulation Cultivators teaming up with a Tier Two Middle Stage Demon Beast.
They could easily take down even a Mid-Stage Dao Foundation Cultivator.
They had experienced scenes like this many times before. In theory, this time should have been no exception.
"BOOM!"
With a deafening explosion, the entire pond blew apart, and a column of water shot hundreds of feet into the air against gravity.
In the mud below,
Zhu Ju’s right hand gripped the Tiger-Masked Cultivator, while his left hand, emitting a five-colored spiritual light, pressed down on the head of a large squid.
At the same time, his Wind and Thunder Blade Wings spun madly, knocking away the incoming Flying Swords.
His body was covered in bloody marks and he looked a bit battered, but he had already subdued his opponents.
"Body Refining Third Realm!"
"A Magical Treasure!"
The Wolf-Masked Cultivator’s eyes filled with terror. With a sharp flick of his long sleeve, he threw out two Thunder Balls and retreated with a flash of lightning.
"Trying to escape?"
Zhu Ju’s expression was icy. He threw the man and the demon in his hands toward the Thunder Balls, and the Wind and Thunder Blade Wings on his back trembled violently.
"SWISH!"
His body appeared before the Wolf-Masked Cultivator as if by Instant Teleportation, his five fingers brought together like a sharp blade as he chopped down.
"PUFF!"
"PUFF! PUFF!"
A series of hand strikes left a trail of afterimages.
The Wolf-Masked Cultivator cried out in agony and was sent flying. At the same time, a huge explosion erupted behind him as the lightning from the Thunder Balls tore the other man and demon to shreds on the spot.
「A few moments later.」
Zhu Ju collected the spoils of war, cleaned up the mess on the ground, and strode away.
He hadn’t gone far before a look of surprise appeared on his face as he looked at the unfamiliar surroundings ahead.
’How can this be?’
’The Array on Yunjing Island has changed!’
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