Chapter 57: Chapter 35: Feeding Demons to Cultivate Divine Techniques, the Underwater Crystal Palace
The next morning, a thick fog rose over the sea, shrouding the moored boats in the harbor and the buildings on the shore in hazy, overlapping silhouettes. To cultivators, this was no hindrance. On the contrary, it added a certain charm to the scenery.
So, even though it was early morning, people were already coming and going amidst the fog. As Xuzhuang crossed a bridge, he saw Shishi already waiting for him.
Xuzhuang cupped his hands. "Have I kept you waiting?"
The eyes visible beneath Fairy Shi’s veil curved into a smile. "I only just arrived myself," she said.
Xuzhuang gave a slight smile and, without further pleasantries, they began walking shoulder to shoulder toward the harbor. "If we count our first meeting as the day we met," Xuzhuang said suddenly, "it’s been over twenty years. Yet in all that time, I’ve never truly seen your Demon Sect’s techniques."
Fairy Shi laughed silently, offering no direct reply. "We’re almost there," she said instead. "Young Master, you should start calling me Shishi now. We wouldn’t want to slip up once we reach the Dragon Palace."
Her eyes danced as she spoke, a captivating sight, but Xuzhuang remained unmoved. "I understand," he replied coolly.
Sure enough, they had not gone much farther before they spotted Ao Hai’s servant, Xiao Si, waiting for them by the shore through the mist.
Upon seeing him, Xuzhuang raised a hand in a slight salute. "Fellow Daoist, we’ve kept you waiting." Shishi also gave a slight curtsy in greeting.
"Not at all," Xiao Si replied. "Since you’re both here, shall we depart at once?"
"Very well," Xuzhuang replied.
At Xuzhuang’s assent, Xiao Si turned and gazed out at the sea, his brow furrowed. "The water is too shallow here. We should move farther from the continental shelf before entering the sea."
Xuzhuang and Shishi readily agreed. Xiao Si wasted no time. He suddenly summoned a wave and rode it out over the open sea. The other two took to the wind and followed closely behind.
The Dragon Palace Crown Prince’s servant was remarkably swift, but Xuzhuang and Shishi easily kept pace. Their three trails of light flew in a tight formation, covering a hundred li in mere moments. By the time Zhao Yue Island had vanished into the mist behind them, Xiao Si suddenly glanced back at the pair. "What is this?" he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.
Xuzhuang’s brow furrowed slightly. "Nothing more than a few flies," he sighed.
Xiao Si sounded displeased. "You humans are always so eager to kill one another."
Xuzhuang considered for a moment. "Fellow Daoist, perhaps it’s best if you go on ahead. That will make it easier for me to resolve this."
Xiao Si hesitated for a moment, then called out, "Fine! We’re still another six hundred li from the deep waters. I’ll wait for you there. Finish this quickly." With that, he spurred his wave onward, leaving Xuzhuang and Shishi behind. In an instant, his figure was just a dwindling speck in the distance.
Shishi laughed. "It seems your reputation doesn’t extend to the East Sea, Young Master. A single Dragon Pearl is enough to attract such covetous vermin."
Xuzhuang glanced back. Through the thick haze, he could see six figures flying in formation, their combined trails of light forming a single streak as they rapidly gave chase. And among them, he recognized two or three familiar faces.
The two in the lead were none other than Young Master Zheng and Young Master Lian, with whom Xuzhuang had a passing acquaintance. Behind them was a figure in a veiled hat and black robes, their face obscured. Their attire matched that of the cultivator who had bid on the Dragon Pearl at the Pengxuan Treasure Assembly. The rest were strangers to him.
The six of them approached menacingly, making no effort to conceal their auras. Xuzhuang could tell with a single glance that they were all in the Golden Core Realm, though merely of low to middling quality.
"Utterly foolish," Xuzhuang commented.
Neither Xuzhuang nor Shishi showed any intention of fleeing. Their pursuers, perhaps sensing that one person had already broken away, pushed their speed even higher. In the blink of an eye, the six of them were upon them.
Seeing Xuzhuang and Shishi hovering in mid-air, a cruel expression spread across the face of the leader, Young Master Zheng. He roared with laughter. "Xuzhuang! You actually dared to leave the territory of Zhao Yue Island after taking the Dragon Pearl! Are you here to deliver your treasure to me?"
A horse-faced cultivator barked, "Young Master, enough with the pointless chatter! Let’s just kill him and take the Dragon Pearl!"
Young Master Lian remained silent. His expression betrayed a deep-seated fear, but it was overshadowed by an overwhelming greed and grim resolve.
As for the remaining cultivator in the veiled hat and black robes, their expression was hidden and they said nothing. Yet as they closed in, their Magical Power began to surge, as if they were about to unleash a devastating attack at any moment.
Xuzhuang had already dismissed the minor conflict he’d had with Young Master Zheng and Lian not long ago. He truly never imagined the day would come when they would be hunting him down.
’There is no cure for stupidity. Such people are bound to bring about their own destruction.’
Xuzhuang had no intention of wasting his breath on such blind fools. Without any visible movement, a chilling Sword Intent began to emanate from him, threatening to erupt into a storm of Sword Qi at any moment.
Just as he was about to act, Shishi gently pressed down on his raised hand. "A moment ago, Young Master," she said softly, "didn’t you say you wanted to witness my Demon Sect techniques?"
"Oh?" A thought struck Xuzhuang, and he smiled. "And you mean to...?"
"Haven’t I already told you to call me Shishi, Young Master?" Shishi said, a hint of a pout in her voice. "As for these simpletons, allow me to deal with them."
As she spoke with a radiant smile, a speck of spiritual light suddenly appeared from nowhere. It drifted lazily upwards before abruptly melting into the void and vanishing without a trace.
In that same instant, the world in all directions was plunged into shadow. The sky turned a murky gray, the surface of the sea roiled like black water, and even the fog transformed into a noxious black smog.
This world-altering transformation occurred in a flash. Even Xuzhuang couldn’t help but feel a tremor of shock. ’What kind of technique is this?’
"What is this stuff?!... AARGH!"
A vaguely familiar voice cried out abruptly from within the black fog, only to be cut off by a bloodcurdling scream.
Xuzhuang swept the area with his Spiritual Sense, only to find it blocked by the swirling black fog. To his surprise, the bizarre mist could completely obstruct his Spiritual Sense.
