Blood Fiend Island was, after all, one of the nine great powers of the Eastern Sea Cultivation World.
Moreover, it belonged to the demonic path and was overseen by an old devil at the late Nascent Soul stage!
It was said that the island itself possessed a unique mystery. The entire island had been refined into a strange treasure, allowing it to drift freely across the seas like a colossal ship, its whereabouts impossible to predict.
More than ninety percent of the demonic cultivators and bandit cultivators in the Eastern Sea Cultivation World committed crimes under the banner of Blood Fiend Island.
One had to admit, its reputation carried immense intimidation.
Most of the cultivators present were only early Core Formation cultivators. How could they possibly be willing to offend such a colossal force?
Ice Heaven True Personage had clearly realized this point and laughed lightly. “How could there truly be so many cultivators from Blood Fiend Island? Everyone here understands perfectly well that genuine Blood Fiend Island bandit cultivators account for at most twenty or thirty percent of them. The rest are merely the dirty hands of various major factions.”
“This True Personage can guarantee upon the reputation of Ice Heaven Market that Raging Shark True Personage has not the slightest connection to Blood Fiend Island.”
“Furthermore, during this operation, this True Personage will personally take action to ensure Raging Shark True Personage cannot escape. All you fellow Daoists need to do is deal with the cultivators under his command.”
In an instant, the entire Culinary Assembly Tower seemed to transform into a world of ice and snow.
“Core Formation… perfection?”
Chixin True Personage stared in shock, her expression turning somewhat dispirited. “As expected of the market lord. Such heaven-defying talent. There is hope for Nascent Soul.”
“Hahaha! Congratulations to Market Lord on advancing to Core Formation perfection. That Raging Shark True Personage has committed endless atrocities. This time, his head is surely forfeit.”
The surrounding Core Formation cultivators immediately began offering congratulations.
“Hmph.”
Only after displaying the pressure of perfect Core Formation did Ice Heaven True Personage continue speaking.
“If any fellow Daoists are unwilling to participate, this lord understands. Signing a spirit contract will suffice. Otherwise, you shall be regarded as accomplices of Raging Shark True Personage and exterminated without mercy.”
With a wave of his hand, glowing spirit contracts flew into each private room.
Fang Qing swept them with divine sense and saw that besides forbidding the disclosure of tonight’s events, the contracts also required every signing Core Formation cultivator to remain within Ice Heaven Market until the battle between Ice Heaven True Personage and Raging Shark True Personage concluded.
Naturally, the market would provide third-rank cave dwellings and cultivation resources during that period.
‘This… feels rather overbearing.’
‘I merely came to attend an exchange meeting. How did this suddenly turn into a restriction on personal freedom?’
He inwardly grumbled.
“Market Lord acts with righteousness. I shall sign immediately.”
“I am willing to accompany Market Lord and slay this villain together!”
Several Core Formation cultivators instantly voiced their agreement.
‘Too fast. Their experience acting as planted supporters is still lacking.’
Watching the scene unfold, Fang Qing secretly shook his head.
Having suffered countless times in the Qi Ingestion world, he wanted absolutely nothing to do with spirit contracts.
Even if he could attempt to erase the contract directly through his own status, or perhaps rely on the Dao-Genesis Pearl triggering passively, why bother?
The safest choice was always to avoid dangerous things entirely.
‘This Ice Heaven True Personage has already reached perfect Core Formation, yet he still personally hunts down a mere bandit cultivator. Unless there’s truly some blood feud involved, there must be many hidden issues here. Could that bandit cultivator possess some Nascent Soul spiritual object?’
‘Or perhaps this entire matter is merely a smokescreen and Ice Heaven True Personage’s true target is us Core Formation cultivators, or perhaps one particular person among us?’
‘This spirit contract appears to be only third-rank, but perhaps there are hidden tricks within? Tampering with contracts has always been extremely common.’
Fang Qing observed coldly from the sidelines. As more and more Core Formation cultivators expressed their stance, the amount of time left for him dwindled rapidly.
‘Then… what should my choice be? Naturally, when uncertain, consult divination.’
Staring at the spirit contract before him, Fang Qing silently circulated the Plum Blossom Divination Art.
‘Signing the spirit contract… minor misfortune?’
‘Forcibly escaping… auspicious?’
‘What a wonderfully honest and straightforward Eastern Sea Cultivation World. Ice Heaven True Personage, you thick-browed righteous-looking fellow, and here you are trying to scam me with a fake contract trick!’
Fang Qing’s consciousness sank inward.
The Dao-Genesis Pearl spun gently. Clouds steamed and rosy light billowed as clear and turbid qi separated apart. Within his body, the jade-green True Core instantly turned pitch black.
It was precisely the transformation brought about by the Devouring Sea Art!
Strangely enough, the Sea-Transformation Pearl, which previously could only be activated through Blue Sea Technique mana, showed no resistance whatsoever toward the mana of the Devouring Sea Technique.
A surge of True Core mana emerged and merged together with the power of his True Core within the dantian, barely allowing Fang Qing’s cultivation to temporarily reach the level of mid-stage Core Formation.
‘The Devouring Sea Art is ultimately the superior cultivation method evolved from the Blue Sea Technique. Since both originate from the same source, it can naturally control the Sea-Transformation Pearl as well.’
‘However, the quality of this technique’s mana is far higher. Even after driving the Sea-Transformation Pearl to its utmost limit, it can only barely raise me to the mid-stage Core Formation level.’
Fang Qing lowered his eyes, already preparing to strike.
Suddenly!
Several thunder beads shot out in all directions before exploding violently.
“Secret Demon Yin Thunder?!”
The thunder beads erupted with terrifying pressure comparable to Core Formation cultivators. The exploding black thunder carried a soul-devouring and spirit-seizing aura. They were unmistakably third-rank Yin thunder!
And the cultivator who released them was clearly attempting to create chaos.
Thunder and flames filled the sky, blasting more than half of the Culinary Assembly Tower into ruins. The musicians and dancers inside suffered horrific casualties.
Yet amid the chaos, a concealed streak of escaping light silently skimmed along the ground, already on the verge of leaving the tower’s boundaries.
“So it truly was you, Tian Yinzi. You are indeed one of Raging Shark True Personage’s accomplices.”
Ice Heaven True Personage showed little concern. A crystalline translucent flying sword appeared in his hand, and with a casual slash, he struck outward.
Whoosh!
Frigid winds howled as dripping water instantly froze into ice.
Terrifying cold qi erupted violently. The dharma artifact transformed into a streak of white light and caught up to the concealed escape light.
As the radiance faded, it revealed a Core Formation cultivator dressed in gray robes with the appearance of a young child. His ten fingers flicked rapidly, releasing streams of gray lightning that slammed into the white sword light.
“Hmph… Refusing to join you in your madness makes me a bandit cultivator?”
With a cold snort, his figure twisted, preparing to flee. Yet his expression suddenly changed.
Buzz!
Layers upon layers of ice crystals descended like an overturned giant bowl. Countless runes flowed within it. At some unknown moment, the entire Culinary Assembly Tower had already been sealed beneath the barrier.
“The Three Yin Mystic Ice Barrier?!”
Tian Yinzi shrieked in alarm. A lightning-and-fire awl dharma artifact appeared in his hand.
This treasure specialized in piercing restrictions. Perhaps it could carve out a slim chance of survival.
But Ice Heaven True Personage merely snorted coldly. The white sword light swelled once more, accompanied by an incomparably frigid divine sense attack that crashed directly into Tian Yinzi’s sea of consciousness.
His movements instantly stalled.
The sword light split into two, two into four…
In the blink of an eye, it transformed into countless icy threads that wrapped around Tian Yinzi before violently tightening.
“AAAH!”
After a single miserable scream, Tian Yinzi vanished completely. Only the shattered remains of the lightning-fire awl dharma artifact remained behind.
For a moment, all the surrounding Core Formation True Personages fell utterly silent.
Only now did they vaguely recall why late-stage Core Formation cultivators were called “Great Cultivators.”
It was because they possessed the strength to slaughter early- and mid-stage cultivators of the same realm!
And Ice Heaven True Personage had already reached perfected Core Formation!
Clang!
At that moment, another sword cry rang out like the roar of a dragon.
The radiance of the heavens filled with starlight. A streak of sword qi descended like lightning and mist, carrying the thunderous might of rumbling storms as it struck the white crystalline wall formed by the Three Yin Mystic Ice Barrier.
Crack!
An ear-piercing shattering sound echoed out.
The pure white crystal wall exploded apart as countless runes scattered like fluttering butterflies.
Fang Qing merged with his sword, transforming into a streak of sword light that shot directly out of the Culinary Assembly Tower’s territory.
“There was another expert hidden here?!”
The gathered Core Formation cultivators were utterly stunned.
“Could this person be the true accomplice of Raging Shark True Personage? Otherwise, why would he go this far over nothing more than a confidentiality spirit contract?”
“You think you can run?!”
Ice Heaven True Personage roared furiously.
The Grand Array enveloping the entire Ice Heaven Market suddenly thundered to life, resonating with the stars above and drawing upon the earth veins below.
“What… why has the market entrance suddenly been sealed?”
At the entrance of Ice Heaven Market, Chixin raised his head in confusion as he looked toward the closing array barrier.
Judging from the situation… some powerful bandit cultivator must have appeared inside the market. At minimum, it had to be a Core Formation cultivator.
An older Qi Refining cultivator beside him sighed emotionally.
It was just like a mortal city sealing its gates after a notorious criminal appeared, shutting the doors to beat the dog so the thief could never escape.
Everyone looked up just in time to see a streak of sword light shooting toward them, chased closely by a white dragon.
No!
That was not a white dragon. It was Ice Heaven True Personage’s movement technique manifestation.
This perfected Core Formation cultivator possessed no weaknesses whatsoever. As he thrust his sword forward, the sword light split apart while overwhelming divine sense attacks surged forth.
Fang Qing raised his sword to block.
Boom!
His entire body trembled violently.
‘Can’t block it…’
‘He’s still a perfected Core Formation cultivator after all, comparable to a mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivator. Though Purple Mansion cultivators vary in strength depending on their lineage, none are something my current combat power can contend against.’
‘This is pure overwhelming stats!’
Even as the thought flashed through his mind, Fang Qing barely blocked the divided sword light while allowing the divine sense attack to crash directly into his sea of consciousness without suffering the slightest harm.
Then the white dragon spat forth a pearl-like attack that pierced straight through his body.
“Hm? Wind escape technique? Such astonishing speed!”
Ice Heaven True Personage watched Fang Qing’s body dissolve into afterimages while his true body appeared dozens of zhang away almost like teleportation. A cold smile appeared on his face.
“This place is sealed by the grand array. Your wind escape technique merely leaves behind afterimages due to excessive speed. Even true void escape arts could never flee this place!”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Fang Qing left trail after trail of afterimages in the air as he arrived at the edge of Ice Heaven Market’s grand formation.
A flash of light appeared.
A talisman was now in his hand.
It was precisely the third-rank “Restriction-Breaking Talisman” obtained from Heiyuan True Personage.
Heiyuan True Personage specialized in arrays and had researched Tianxin Island’s restrictions for many years. He naturally possessed quite a few talismans of this sort in storage.
“A Restriction-Breaking Talisman?”
Ice Heaven True Personage’s divine sense swept over the scene. He was startled at first, then sneered coldly.
“A mere third-rank talisman wishes to shake a quasi-fourth-rank grand array?”
His hand seals shifted as a snow-white palace dharma artifact appeared in his hands. Clearly, he was preparing some devastating divine ability to completely annihilate Fang Qing on the spot.
After all, Fang Qing’s chaos had turned all of his previous arrangements into a complete joke.
The hatred in his heart could not be washed clean even with the waters of the four seas.
Yet Fang Qing activated the Restriction-Breaking Talisman in his hand.
The talisman transformed into a streak of silver light and struck the edge of the formation.
A Restriction-Breaking Talisman could not truly destroy a formation. Even against ordinary third-rank array, it could only briefly stagnate the restrictions and open a temporary escape passage.
Against a quasi-fourth-rank array, it could not even accomplish that much.
But Fang Qing had never needed an escape passage in the first place.
The power of the third-rank Restriction-Breaking Talisman was exhausted, but it still managed to create a weak point within the spatial lockdown of the quasi-fourth-rank array.
For a single instant, the void inside and outside the array intersected at one tiny point.
The opportunity vanished in a flash. That tiny connection to the void could not even form a proper passage.
But for Fang Qing, one instant of overlapping inner and outer space was already enough.
In that single moment, he stepped forward into the void itself.
His figure vanished instantly without a trace.
“What?!”
Ice Heaven True Personage froze mid-motion, the snow-white palace in his hand still poised to strike.
“Void divine ability? A Heaven-Escape Talisman? But with the grand formation sealing the void, how could he possibly leave?”
“Unless… he’s a Nascent Soul old monster?”
“Or perhaps one of the legendary Void Spiritual Roots or even one of those rare Void-type Spiritual Physiques?”
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