novelapdf Chapter 207 State your name!
Chapter 207 State your name!
Chapter 208 State your name!
After a tremendous upheaval, the entire Chaotic Star Sea seemed to have undergone a major test of human nature.
Speaking only of this inner sea, some customs and traditions have changed, as if people have been reborn.
Like a storm brewing, yet the gloom vanishes in an instant, and the light returns.
On the nameless island, two Core Formation cultivators quickly stood up, subconsciously shook their sleeves, faced the sky, and bowed deeply three times.
Before the two had even gotten up, clusters of peach blossoms began to fall from the sky, fluttering down like startled birds.
The petals touched the ground, then spread out and exploded with a bang, before instantly coming together again, solidifying and transforming into a form, from which the figure of Ye Pu, the leader of the Yellow Sand Sect, appeared.
He held the wooden prayer beads in his hand, still with the appearance of a wise and enlightened sage with white hair and a youthful face, wearing wide robes and sleeves, his expression peaceful, even with a touch of detachment and compassion for all living beings.
"Greetings, Old Master of the Nightclub!"
The two men were startled and dared not be negligent in the slightest. They bowed again, their voices filled with awe and obedience, before daring to raise their heads. However, they did not dare to look directly at each other, but instead lowered their gaze to the hem of the other's robe.
Nightshade's gaze, as calm as a still well, slowly swept over the two of them, finally settling on the heavily guarded entrance to the cave.
His fingers moved the prayer beads with a steady rhythm, and a faint smile played at the corners of his mouth.
However, when that seemingly gentle gaze swept over them, the two Core Formation cultivators felt an invisible pressure descend upon them, unfathomable, causing them to unconsciously hold their breath for a moment.
"Yes, the location is good."
The sound of the night heralds a gentle, mellow mellowness, like the soft tapping of jade.
The leader of the Giant Whale Gang rubbed his hands together, his face full of flattery, and his voice brimming with obsequiousness.
"Ancestor, you have a keen eye. This location is indeed exceptionally advantageous. It's neither too far nor too close to Kui Xing Island, avoiding the frequent surveillance of the Star Palace patrols without being too isolated. Although this place is desolate, it's not a dead land devoid of spiritual energy, and it's enough to support the operation of some basic formations."
He glanced at Old Ancestor Ye Pu's expression, seeing the other still fiddling with his prayer beads, his expression inscrutable, and quickly added, "Old Ancestor, you are wise. We have been guarding this place for over half a year, and we have hardly seen any cultivators linger here. The few who do pass by are all insignificant rogue cultivators who, seeing the island's barrenness and thin spiritual energy, have no intention of settling down. This island is neither too big nor too small, about sixty or seventy miles in circumference. It is naturally inferior to those spiritually rich islands, but much better than smaller barren reefs. It is precisely this 'in-between' awkwardness that has become the best cover; ordinary cultivators would never choose such a place to open a cave or establish a stronghold."
The Nightshade Ancestor remained silent. The moment he landed, his powerful divine sense, like invisible water, swept across every inch of the island.
The island is indeed small, and its spiritual energy is quite thin, far from being "gathered." It can only be said that it has barely maintained a little bit of earth energy.
Surrounded by similar deserted islands, with no solitary peaks or precipitous ravines to attract attention, it was truly the perfect place to conceal a secret outpost that no one wanted to know about.
His mind raced with thoughts.
His hard-earned stronghold in the outer sea was wiped out, and even the distraction he was in charge of could not send back a single word before it completely disappeared, which filled him with shock and anger.
With the collapse of the Reverse Star Alliance, the retreat of the righteous path, and the chaos in the demonic path, a power vacuum has emerged. All sides are preoccupied with their own problems, making it the perfect opportunity to fish in troubled waters and start anew.
Rather than rebuilding in the open ocean amidst stormy seas, it's better to—make a move where the darkness falls behind the lamp.
They moved the new foundation directly to the inner sea right under the nose of this star palace.
With this teleportation array in hand, communication between the inner and outer seas would be as convenient as having one's own backyard, and the risks would be much lower.
As for cultivation level—a hint of gloom flashed deep in Ye Pu's eyes.
He has been stuck at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm for nearly three hundred years. With his methodical, painstaking efforts, he will probably never reach the middle stage in this lifetime.
The only way to achieve a breakthrough is through the practice of replenishing yin and yang.
Therefore, more and better furnaces are needed.
Over the centuries, countless female cultivators have met tragic ends at the hands of the Nightclub, their bones piling up like mountains.
Foundation Establishment female cultivation is the foundation, while Golden Core female cultivation is the real supplement.
"You haven't told anyone else about my identity, have you?"
The nightclub's voice remained gentle.
The two men quickly bowed and said in unison, "We dare not cause any trouble. As for the identity of our ancestor, only the two of us know for sure. The other gang members on the island know nothing about it."
Ye Pu nodded slightly. "This matter has been handled well. Now I will give you two choices. First, the Giant Whale Gang will continue as before, just as it did when it was attached to Extreme Yin Island, serving as a vassal of my Yellow Sand Sect and obeying its commands. Second, the Giant Whale Gang will completely submit and be merged into my Yellow Sand Sect, ceasing to exist. Which do you choose?"
The tall man's eyes darted around, his mind racing. He put on a respectful smile and said cautiously, "We are deeply grateful for your kindness, Ancestor. This is a matter of great importance, and we will follow your instructions without question."
Nightshade's seemingly simple smile deepened. "You're quite a clever man. However, I'd still like to hear your own words: what is your choice?"
The leader of the Giant Whale Gang hesitated just the right amount, pondering for a moment before slowly speaking, his tone both frank and cautious: "Reporting to the Ancestor, this junior dares not conceal anything. My personal wish is still to preserve the name 'Giant Whale Gang.' Firstly, it would establish a reputation, making things easier. Secondly, this approach would be more advantageous for Ancestor Huang Shamen, both internally and externally. Even if some mishaps occur in the future, with the Giant Whale Gang protecting him, people wouldn't immediately associate him with Huang Shamen, saving Ancestor a lot of trouble."
Ye Pu lowered his eyes and listened from above. When he finished speaking, he chuckled and paused slightly in the hand that was turning the prayer beads.
"Good, very good. Your thoughtful consideration saves me a lot of trouble. Intelligent people tend to live longer, but those who can see their own desires clearly and know how to manage their limits can live even longer and better."
He swept his gaze over the man with a hint of barely perceptible approval. "No wonder you were able to lead the Giant Whale Gang to this level despite the support from Extreme Yin Island. You are bold and meticulous, recruiting people without even letting go of ordinary people. There is some truth to that. Such a mindset is rare even among Core Formation cultivators."
Rather than saying that the Giant Whale Gang attached itself to the Yellow Sand Gate, it would be more accurate to say that the Yellow Sand Gate actively chose the Giant Whale Gang as a pawn.
Do you really think that a mere Core Formation cultivator can easily get on the good side of a major sect with a Nascent Soul ancestor?
The moment the leader of the Giant Whale Gang arrived with the news of the teleportation array, the Nightshade Ancestor of the Yellow Sand Sect had already secretly set his sights on him.
Nightclub had already sent people to thoroughly investigate the Whale Gang's activities and background over the past few centuries.
Upon hearing that the Nightclub Ancestor had agreed to retain the name "Giant Whale Gang," the gang leader's face immediately lit up with uncontrollable joy, and the farmer-looking man next to him couldn't help but nod repeatedly.
really!
They can preserve the reputation they've worked so hard to build, and also climb up to the towering tree of the Nascent Soul Ancestor to gain powerful protection.
This is the result I've always dreamed of.
It is perfect that it retains a considerable degree of autonomy, so as not to become a powerless vassal, and that it has a powerful backer to protect it if things go wrong.
"Since the Ancestor has come in person, why don't we go and take a look at that teleportation array?"
Suppressing his excitement, the leader of the Giant Whale Gang eagerly suggested, "Although the formation has collapsed and been damaged, the core foundation remains, and the main body has not been extensively destroyed. With some time and materials, there is a good chance of repairing it."
Upon hearing this, Ye Pu chuckled, his hand still rhythmically turning the prayer beads. His gaze swept over the two people before him, and he asked softly, "This matter is not urgent. Let me ask you, besides the two of you, how many people are there on this island in total?"
Without a second thought, the man next to him blurted out, "Reporting to the patriarch, I remember the number of people on the island very clearly. Including myself and the gang leader, there are a total of seventeen people, all of whom are elite disciples of the gang."
The seemingly simple smile on the face of the Yellow Sand Sect Master deepened, but his gaze suddenly sharpened like needles, piercing straight into the depths of the cave. His voice remained warm, yet carried a chilling penetrating power: "Oh? Seventeen people? Then why is there an eighteenth person in this cave, as I sense with my divine sense? Could this person not be a disciple of your Giant Whale Gang?"
These words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky!
The leader of the Giant Whale Gang went from being puzzled to being shocked.
He suddenly turned his head to look at Lao Liu beside him, his eyes filled with disbelief, anger, and questioning.
Right under their noses, in this crucial teleportation array area, someone managed to sneak in silently?
A cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage would naturally not lie.
The man's face instantly turned extremely ugly, and beads of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead. He cried out, "Impossible! Ancestor, you are wise! No one is allowed to approach the cave except for me who patrols it regularly. The disciples are all on guard around the perimeter and would never dare to enter without permission. The number of people—the disciples have counted the number of people countless times, and there are only seventeen people."
The leader of the Giant Whale Gang looked at the man next to him with hostility.
"What exactly is going on?"
The nightclub suggested they didn't need to be nervous.
Guests are always welcome, and besides, there are quite a few eccentric individuals in the cultivation world who use unorthodox methods and enjoy playing around in the mortal realm.
He said this with a nonchalant look in his eyes, clearly not taking it to heart.
Hearing these words, the two Core Formation cultivators felt somewhat relieved and could barely feel a little better.
Their fear and panic just now were not entirely feigned.
What they feared was that this unfathomable Nascent Soul cultivator would be displeased.
Firstly, they genuinely didn't know when another person had appeared in the cave; secondly, they were somewhat deliberate in their actions, fearing they might anger the other party.
Therefore, never underestimate the mind of any cultivator.
The two didn't share any personal thoughts during their conversation; they spoke directly and directly.
"How could the Ancestor be wrong! If he says it is, then it must be. How exactly did this guy get in?"
"God knows!"
"If they infiltrated after the Ancestor arrived, that would be somewhat understandable; perhaps they used some extremely sophisticated concealment technique to evade the Ancestor's divine sense. But if they've been here all along, how could we have gone unnoticed for the past six months—"
As the two talked, they actually harbored another thought in their hearts.
Perhaps this person appeared after the ancestor arrived.
But as soon as the thought crossed their minds, they forcibly suppressed it.
What does it mean to be able to hide and leak one's aura right under the nose of a Nascent Soul Ancestor?
So neither of them dared to think about it too much.
However, even in the two scenarios currently under consideration, the outcome is extremely unfavorable.
One of them was taken advantage of and infiltrated a key location. No matter how they tried to explain, it confirmed that the Giant Whale Gang was guilty of negligence and oversight, and they would not be able to get rid of this label in the short term.
The other one is even worse. If this person has been lurking there for a long time without them and their many gang members being aware of it, then it is utterly shameful.
The two immediately led the way into the heart of the mountain.
Sure enough, in the dim light, a man dressed in a black robe was crouching on the ground, intently studying the teleportation array on the ground.
The leader of the Giant Whale Gang was furious and eager to impress the patriarch, so he couldn't hold back and took a step forward.
"When did this fellow Daoist infiltrate the territory under the jurisdiction of my Giant Whale Gang? Hiding like a coward without even a word, you're really showing us no respect!"
Old Ancestor Ye Pu followed silently behind, his gaze sweeping over the black-robed figure. A chill ran through him, and he couldn't help but let out a soft "Eh."
With his powerful divine sense at the Nascent Soul stage, he was completely unable to detect the depth of the other party's cultivation level.
There are only two possibilities: either the other party is a Nascent Soul cultivator of the same or even higher level, or they possess some extremely sophisticated concealment technique that can deceive the senses of a Nascent Soul cultivator.
Regardless of the reason, it means that this person is no ordinary cultivator and must have powerful backing.
However, now that he has stumbled upon this person, no matter who they are or what their background is, he will never let them leave so easily.
This matter concerns the teleportation array and one's own plans, and there is no room for the slightest mistake.
His mind raced, but his face remained that of a compassionate and detached sage, saying nothing.
Since there are two readily available Core Formation cultivators ahead, it's a good opportunity to let them test the waters and assess the strength of this suddenly appearing black-robed man.
Whatever the outcome, he will suffer no loss.
When the leader of the Giant Whale Gang and the man Lao Liu saw that their ancestor remained silent, they assumed that he had tacitly approved of their actions or was giving them a chance to prove themselves.
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing ruthlessness in each other's eyes.
They pressed forward a few more steps, forming a pincer movement, and surrounded the man in black robes in the middle.
At the same time, each of them quietly made a hand seal behind their backs with their left hands, and a faint light appeared, hidden and unreleased.
"Why aren't you saying anything? State your name!"
The man in black robes slowly stood up and calmly dusted off the dust on his sleeves.
His gaze swept calmly over the three people in front of him, without lingering on any of them.
The man in black robes didn't answer. Instead, he calmly asked, "The Giant Whale Gang? I remember this nameless island originally belonged to the Extreme Yin Island, right? Or did they give you the island along with the teleportation array?"
How could the other party know such a secret matter?
The leader of the Giant Whale Gang was somewhat unsure of what to do.
Although the Yin Demon is gone, his remaining power is far greater than that of the Giant Whale Gang.