Chapter 416: Chapter 384: Day 3

Red Tail Island, the Earth Dark Sect’s Island Master’s Mansion.

Where the northern sea met the sky, a streak of light shot through the air, tearing through the void!

Arriving above the mansion, it transformed into a torn half of a talisman and fell into the hand of a purple-robed cultivator meditating beneath a tree.

"Whose Fish Eye Talisman is this?"

The purple-robed cultivator frowned slightly, glancing up in the direction of Yongdeng Ansha.

The Fish Eye Talisman was precious; a cultivator wouldn’t use it lightly unless facing a life-or-death crisis.

Just like the Chenghua Sect, the Earth Dark Sect also had a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator stationed on Red Tail Island. This purple-robed cultivator was the Island Master here—Jing Shigen.

"I’m going back to rest for a bit. Unless it’s something urgent, don’t let anyone disturb me."

Jing Shigen instructed a guard, then strode quickly into the mansion. He opened the talisman and took out the True Meaning Jade Slip inside.

He sank his Divine Sense into it to inspect the jade slip’s contents.

The first scene that met his eyes was of Zhao Lin and Qingchi locked in a fierce battle.

Under the pressure of the Ice Blade Skill, Qingchi was steadily losing ground, looking as if he couldn’t hold on much longer.

Jing Shigen’s heart sank, and he shifted his Divine Sense to look elsewhere in the recording.

He was stunned to discover Shan’nei not far away, clutching his chest in pain, with two corpses floating beside him.

’Qingchi and Shan’nei are outstanding disciples from the Zhenyue and Huangmu Spirit Dao Institutes. How could they have ended up in such a state?’

"Seniors of the sect, you must eliminate this man! I’m begging you!"

Qingchi roared, his tone filled with desperate resolve.

Jing Shigen’s expression flickered, unable to hide the shock in his heart.

’Who is this Chenghua Sect disciple?’

’Shan’nei is injured, Xiangwan and Tongmu are dead... Did he do all this by himself?’

’Impossible!’

Jing Shigen quickly dismissed the thought. ’Our sect’s cultivators are masters of aquatic combat. It’s impossible for a single Chenghua Sect cultivator to defeat four of ours.’

’But... why can’t I see any other Chenghua Sect members?’

Judging by the terrain, the battle took place in the Earth Dark Sect’s waters.

’In other words, this person went deep into our sect’s territory to hunt down four Late-stage Qi Refining cultivators!’

As the recording progressed, the battle suddenly took a sharp turn.

Shan’nei released a Water Explosion Talisman. The Fish Eye Talisman sensed the danger and fled the battlefield an instant before the detonation.

After a blinding flash of white light, the recording on the True Meaning Jade Slip ended.

’This man was brave, but in the end, he couldn’t escape the Water Explosion Talisman.’

Jing Shigen let out a breath, feeling a secret sense of relief. ’It’s a shame about Qingchi, though. He probably didn’t make it out either.’

Ever since becoming Island Master, Jing Shigen hadn’t been content to simply guard the island. He hoped to accrue merits for himself by annexing the Chenghua Sect’s pearl beaches and killing their cultivators during missions.

Qingchi and Shan’nei had come to carry out this mission precisely at his invitation.

’I’d better keep this matter quiet for now. If word gets out that Qingchi was killed by one of our own, it’s bound to cause trouble.’

’I’ll need to issue some posthumous commendations and stipends. Otherwise, no one will be willing to take on these missions in the future, which would make my job as Island Master difficult.’

Jing Shigen gently stroked the jade slip, his mind calculating how to handle the aftermath.

As his mind replayed the scene he had just witnessed, his eyes suddenly narrowed. ’No, he’s still alive!’

Jing Shigen’s Divine Sense plunged back into the jade slip. Observing closely, he discovered that at the instant before the Water Explosion Talisman arrived, the form of Zhao Lin’s Water Manipulation Skill had changed.

The circulating current of water shifted from horizontal to vertical, and his body began to tilt downwards, assuming a diving posture!

’As I feared... He escaped after all!’

Jing Shigen’s eyebrows knitted together instantly.

Although the Fish Eye Talisman didn’t record it, what happened next was easy to deduce: Qingchi was killed in the blast, and Shan’nei certainly couldn’t have escaped either.

Losing a few Qi Refining Realm cultivators was nothing, but the emergence of such a figure in the Chenghua Sect was a huge problem!

In the last thirty years, the Earth Dark Sect had annexed two pearl beaches precisely because their Qi Refining Realm cultivators were superior in aquatic combat.

That’s just how it was. In the struggle for Red Tail Island, the key didn’t lie with Golden Core Realm cultivators, nor with Purple Mansion Realm cultivators, but with the lowest-ranked Qi Refining Realm cultivators.

If this person survived, he would cause immense trouble for the sect’s plans to control Red Tail Island.

’I must find a way to eliminate him!’

At this thought, Jing Shigen put away the True Meaning Jade Slip and strode out of the Island Master’s Mansion.

...

"Fellow Daoist Tao!"

"Fellow Daoist Tao, it’s me, Zhao Lin..."

Zhao Lin had returned to Kuimu Beach and was calling out softly.

He formed the Celestial Secret Seal with his hand to let Tao Yan know he was back.

"Brother Zhao!"

Tao Yan darted out from a dense thicket of seaweed, a look of pleasant surprise on his face. "How did it go? Did you succeed?"

"I did," Zhao Lin replied with a smile.

"That’s great."

Tao Yan swam closer and saw that Zhao Lin was carrying four brow blades. "So many brow blades," he said, curious. "How many people did you kill?"

"Four."

Zhao Lin held up four fingers and explained, "The one who escaped found three helpers. I killed them all."

"Killed them all."

Tao Yan sucked in a sharp breath. His mouth opened and closed, but he didn’t know what to say.

After a long moment, he said, "I’ve gathered the belongings of the Earth Dark Sect cultivators you killed earlier and stored them in the reef cave."

He then led Zhao Lin to the front of the reef cave where Liu Lian’s body was placed and moved aside the large rock sealing the entrance.

"I put Fu Dong’s body in here too, to keep it from being desecrated by fish and shrimp."

Tao Yan took the brow blades from Zhao Lin, placed them inside the cave, and sealed it again with the large rock.

"You did well."

Zhao Lin said appreciatively, knowing that Tao Yan had taken a great risk by doing this.

It was now late at night, and both of them were tired. They chatted for a bit before resting beside the reef cave.

「A night passed.」

On the morning of the third day, the first thing Tao Yan asked when he woke up was, "Brother Zhao, what are we doing today?"

Zhao Lin pondered for a moment, then said, "You continue gathering Spirit Pearls. I’m going to head over to the Earth Dark Sect’s territory and take a look."

"You’re going to kill more Earth Dark Sect cultivators?" Tao Yan asked in surprise.

"That’s right. During yesterday’s battle, I figured out a good way to ambush them. One head is worth two hundred merit points—much faster than gathering Spirit Pearls."

Zhao Lin didn’t hide his intentions and laid out his plan.

"Alright. Be careful, Brother Zhao."

Tao Yan now had complete faith in Zhao Lin’s strength. He felt nothing but admiration.

"After racking up so many merit points, I have no intention of dying."

Zhao Lin joked casually, then his expression turned serious. "After the mission is over, I’d like to ask Fellow Daoist Tao to keep the details of me killing the Earth Dark Sect cultivators a secret."

Although this mission was certain to make his name known far and wide, Zhao Lin still wanted to avoid revealing the full extent of his strength if possible.

"Don’t worry, Brother Zhao. I won’t breathe a word of it to anyone."

Tao Yan figured Zhao Lin must have his share of secrets, but he didn’t dwell on it. ’Which cultivator doesn’t?’

Besides, Zhao Lin had saved his life. This was a small request.

The Spirit Pearls at Kuimu Beach had been completely harvested, so the two of them headed for a pearl beach in the northern part of Yongdeng Ansha called Xingri Beach.

Zhao Lin wasn’t gathering Spirit Pearls; his purpose on this trip was to escort Tao Yan and protect him from any Earth Dark Sect cultivators they might encounter along the way.

No sooner had the two of them entered Xingri Beach than two other cultivators followed them in.

One was Ran Pengfei, a cultivator at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer who had achieved the grand completion stage of the Water Manipulation Skill. The other was a Qi Refining Eighth Layer cultivator named Hu Changlu.

"What a coincidence! You two are here as well!"

Ran Pengfei swam over and greeted them. "How’s it going? How many Spirit Pearls have you two collected?"

By the third day, the Clam Demons and other shellfish demons on the pearl beaches were either dead or had fled, so there weren’t many Spirit Pearls left to collect.

The cultivators’ mindsets had also calmed down. They were no longer focused on Spirit Pearls, instead prioritizing their own safety.

Tao Yan replied, "I haven’t collected many, only worth about two-hundred-some merit points."

Zhao Lin smiled. "I have a little more, just over three hundred."

Hearing this, Ran Pengfei grinned. "Then I guess my luck was better. I have more than both of you."

After some small talk, Zhao Lin excused himself to leave.

Ran Pengfei was surprised. "Fellow Daoist Zhao, you just got here. Why are you leaving already?"

Zhao Lin glanced at Tao Yan. "Four people on one pearl beach is too crowded. I’ll find another spot."

Ran Pengfei thought about it and agreed. He cupped his fists. "Then be careful, Fellow Daoist Zhao. Today is the last day. Watch out for those treacherous bastards from the Earth Dark Sect."

Zhao Lin smiled and nodded. "Right. Let’s all be careful."

Tao Yan’s mouth twitched. ’They’re the ones who should be worried,’ he thought.

Zhao Lin left the pearl beach and swam toward the Earth Dark Sect’s waters.

Along the way, he used the long-range advantage of his ultrasonic detection to search for Earth Dark Sect cultivators traveling between the pearl beaches.

Yongdeng Ansha wasn’t massive, but it wasn’t small either. Zhao Lin searched for nearly an hour before finally encountering an Earth Dark Sect cultivator.

He determined the target’s route, hid beneath the gravel on the seabed, and when the Earth Dark Sect cultivator passed by, he used the same old trick, launching a sudden ambush.

Before the Earth Dark Sect cultivator could even react, an ice blade pierced his thigh. Zhao Lin then closed in and killed him with a single blow from his iron ruler...

Although the Earth Dark Sect’s cultivators were skilled in aquatic combat, not all of them were exceptionally powerful.

Aside from Qingchi and Shan’nei, few could match Zhao Lin in a one-on-one fight, let alone survive a sneak attack from him.

Zhao Lin was like a hungry shark patrolling the seabed. The moment he smelled a hint of blood, he would lunge forward and viciously tear into his prey.

Using these methods, the Earth Dark Sect cultivators fell one by one at Zhao Lin’s hands.

By dusk, Zhao Lin had claimed the lives of six more Earth Dark Sect cultivators.

’Qingchi’s group had five people. Shan’nei’s had three. Adding the six from today, that’s fourteen in total.’

Zhao Lin did a quick calculation. The Earth Dark Sect had sent a total of sixteen cultivators out to sea. With at most two remaining, he stopped searching and returned to Kuimu Beach to rest.

On the morning of the fourth day, Gan Xingquan led a group of guards by boat to the reef where the cultivators had entered the sea a few days prior, and waited.

"I wonder how many Spirit Pearls our people managed to collect this time?" a guard on the boat said.

A large portion of the island’s income came from harvesting Spirit Pearls. The more pearls the seagoing cultivators collected, the larger the year-end bonus for the guards, so naturally, they were concerned about the mission’s outcome.

"Fewer Spirit Pearls doesn’t matter. As long as they all make it back alive."

Gan Xingquan said nonchalantly. In his eyes, the seagoing cultivators were contributing to the sect just like the guards stationed on the island.

When the Hour of the Dragon arrived, the cultivators began to converge on the boat from all directions.

"Elder Gan, I’m back!"

"I’m back too..."

The figures of five cultivators appeared on the surface of the sea, swimming over from different directions.

"It’s good that you’re back."

A smile appeared on Gan Xingquan’s face as he waved for them to come aboard the boat.

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