As the blood mist vanished, only a figure in black remained suspended midair, an easy smile gracing his handsome features. Draped in a black cloak bordered with gold thread, the cloak emitted an eerie black light, drawing the gaze so intensely it seemed difficult to look away. The burly man stared at this figure, his unease deepening as he recalled the sudden disappearance of the blood mist.
Years of surviving the Starshatter Sea kicked in. Without hesitation, he barked to his junior brother and the woman, "Attack together, let's finish this quickly!" But as they launched their magic treasures towards the figure, he turned and fled alone. In the face of uncertainty, his instincts screamed to escape—a precaution that could never be wrong.
Chu Xuan watched the burly man make his retreat and couldn't help but chuckle at his quick response. "Leaving so soon? That's hardly courteous. Perhaps a more intimate conversation would be appropriate," he mused.
With a mere thought, Chu Xuan deployed Hu and Long from the Heavenly Corpse Tower to pursue the fleeing burly man. He then turned his attention to the magic treasures hurtling towards him from the sultry woman and the tall, thin man.
Slapping his storage bag, the White Dragon Claws soared out, splitting and swelling in size almost instantaneously. They caught the incoming treasures effortlessly. With a crisp snap, the treasures crumbled into pieces under the dragon's claws.
Chu Xuan frowned slightly in disappointment. He had hoped they were high-quality treasures, but they turned out to be easily destroyed. "Such a waste," he lamented.
The woman and her companion were struck with terror at this display of power, suddenly understanding why their senior brother had fled so precipitously. "Split up and run!" the tall man shouted. "We need to inform the master!"
The two exchanged glances and split apart, fleeing east and west with practiced ease. Chu Xuan smiled faintly and waved his hand casually, releasing a black cloak that billowed out behind him. In the blink of an eye, it expanded several times over, sweeping across the sky to envelop the fleeing figures. The enchanting woman and the gaunt man had not escaped far before the dark cloak tightly bound them and summarily dragged them back before Chu Xuan.
Chu Xuan stroked his chin thoughtfully, musing on the effectiveness of the spiritual artifact. It utterly dominated against mere magical treasures, crushing them effortlessly from start to finish. Its only drawback, he noted, was its substantial consumption of spiritual energy, which was considerable even for him at his current level.
The two prisoners watched him with despair in their eyes. The woman, with a pitiable look, pleaded, "Senior, please spare our lives. We are disciples of the Blood Cloud Cavern, merely here to collect blood for the Divine Sword Sect's territory."
"We did not mean to offend you, senior. We deserve death," she continued, her voice trembling. "However, our master, the Blood Cloud Elder, is fiercely protective. If he learns of our deaths, he would surely seek vengeance without end."
The thin man added gravely, "Our life tokens are with our master. Should we perish, he would know instantly. Please, senior, granting us mercy benefits us all."
Chu Xuan smiled faintly, amused by their good-cop-bad-cop routine. Releasing them would only invite future troubles. Now that they had seen his face, leaving them alive was not an option.
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"So, you are disciples of the Blood Cloud Elder," Chu Xuan mused, his smile widening. "It's like a big water washing over the Dragon King's temple—family members unrecognizably mixed up. Very well, I shall release you then."
Relief washed over the pair, and internally they praised the power of their master's reputation. But the next moment, Chu Xuan's large hand was upon their heads. Googlᴇ search 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢•𝓷𝓮𝓽
Moments later, their bodies were stored in the Heavenly Corpse Tower, their souls claimed by the Sky-Shielding Umbrella. Shortly after, Hu and Long returned, dragging the captured burly man.
Chu Xuan nodded slightly and casually killed the bloodthirsty fishes lurking in the waters before stepping onto the island.
The island was dense with disciples of the Blood Cloud Cavern, primarily cultivators of the Blood Path, with numerous blood clouds swirling overhead—perfect for filling his Blood Demon Flask.
"Uncle master! All the cultivators here have been slaughtered!" a voice announced suddenly.
Several Golden Core cultivators hurried over, only to find no sign of their seniors—just a mysterious figure in black.
Chu Xuan, pulling out his Blood Demon Flask, waved his hand. A vast expanse of blood clouds uncontrollably surged toward him, funneling into the pot.
The Blood Cloud Cavern cultivators, terror-stricken, tried to flee, but they couldn't resist the pot's pull. In moments, they were reduced to clouds of blood, absorbed by the pot.
Soon, not a soul was left on the island.
Chu Xuan wandered the area once more, unleashing a wave of flame that erased all traces of battle, leaving the land pristine before he departed. He had already extracted the information he sought from the minds of the three Nascent Soul stage disciples of Blood Cloud Cavern.
This place was located in the Eastern Third Ring of the Fragmented Star Sea, a hotspot where the three major forces—Blood Cloud Cavern, Divine Sword Sect, and Serpent Buddha Temple—converged. The small island he was on, known as Green Leaf Island, lay on the border between the territories of Divine Sword Sect and Blood Cloud Cavern.
Southward from here lay Neon Garment Island, one of the most prosperous islands under the control of the Divine Sword Sect. Now, with Deity Transformation techniques in his possession and only lacking the essential Deity Transformation spiritual items, Chu Xuan planned to settle temporarily on such a bustling island, where cultivators frequently trafficked.
Moreover, Divine Sword Sect claimed allegiance to the righteous path, which usually meant better order than in the territories ruled by demonic cultivators, where murders and robberies were commonplace.
Whether the righteousness was genuine or merely a facade, as long as they maintained appearances, it suited Chu Xuan's interests. After all, he was not fond of constant fighting. Thus, he could comfortably reside on Neon Garment Island, gathering the necessary Deity Transformation spiritual items at his leisure. Given his lengthy lifespan, time was on his side.
Days later, a figure in a bright red robe approached Green Leaf Island, surrounded by swirling blood clouds—Blood Cloud Elder, a Deity Transformation cultivator of the Blood Cloud Cavern. His expression was exceedingly grim as his spiritual sense swept across the island, finding no signs of life. Closer inspection revealed only charred remnants, the aftermath of flames that left no trace of battle.
"Cursed be!" he thundered. "Three of my Nascent Soul early stage disciples, all slain?"
Blood Cloud Elder had only six Nascent Soul disciples under his command, and the loss of half was a blow not easily borne.
Suddenly, a formidable voice descended from the heavens, "Blood Cloud old ghost, this is the territory of Divine Sword Sect. What right have you to trespass here?"
The voice vibrated through the air like a sword being drawn from its sheath. Shortly after, a figure appeared before Blood Cloud Elder.
Blood Cloud Elder roared, "Yun Feijian, was it you who killed my worthless disciples?"
Yun Feijian paused, then burst into laughter. "Dead? Good! They deserved it. Whether I killed them or not, what does it matter? Demonic cultivators are condemned by all!"
Enraged, Blood Cloud Elder brandished a spiritual weapon and charged at Yun Feijian, who drew his heavy sword with a scoff.
The two Deity Transformation cultivators clashed immediately, their energies—a surge of blood essence and fierce sword qi—violently colliding above Green Leaf Island!