Chapter 467: Chapter 414: Gathering (Part 2)

This Magic had an enormous defensive range, meaning Chao Duan could use it to protect all four of the fragile Array Masters.

’Chu Hongtian is a thorough planner,’ Zhao Lin thought. ’He specifically assigned a suitable candidate to ensure I have nothing to worry about.’

He put on a sincere expression and said, "My abilities are limited and my talents are few. I will have to rely heavily on Elder Chao."

Chao Duan nodded with a smile. "Of course, of course. I’ve heard tales of your exploits, Fellow Daoist Zhao, and I’m deeply impressed."

"If there’s any use for this old man’s humble skills, just say the word. Please don’t hesitate."

Hearing this, Zhao Lin’s mind was put at ease. ’Things will be much simpler with someone so sensible. What I feared most was meeting some old coot who’d throw his seniority around, opposing my every move and holding us back.’

A few days later, Gan Xingquan sent a guard to the inn to inform them that the cultivators for the mission had nearly all arrived. They could now move into the encampment to familiarize themselves with the others and better coordinate when the time came.

Zhao Lin, Chao Duan, Sun Jue, and the others didn’t delay, setting out at once.

As they entered the encampment, they saw ten cultivators sitting in a circle at its center, chatting idly.

Hearing footsteps, the cultivators all turned to look.

Zhao Lin glanced at them and was secretly taken aback.

Of the ten, one was at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, while all the rest were at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer. Two were even at the Peak of Qi Refining!

Judging by their appearances, they were all between thirty and fifty years old; none were too young or too old.

’This lineup is so much stronger than the last one.’

"Fellow Daoists, I am Zhao Lin. I’m here for the mission. I look forward to working with you all."

Zhao Lin gave a sweeping bow to the group before casually finding an empty spot and sitting down, showing no sign of reservation.

Chao Duan, Sun Jue, and the others simply offered a cupped-fist salute without introducing themselves, then sat down beside Zhao Lin.

Everyone was a little surprised. ’Who is this guy?’ they wondered.

Zhao Lin was only at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, yet he was clearly the leader of his group of six. Even Chao Duan, who was at the Peak of Qi Refining, willingly took a spot behind him.

"So you’re Fellow Daoist Zhao. I am Xu Zhongyong, from Celestial Cyan Province."

After a moment of silence, a scholar-like cultivator with a long, thin face spoke up.

The man was quite chatty. Not only was he the first to speak, but he also enthusiastically introduced everyone else to Zhao Lin.

Zhao Lin responded with a smile, memorizing each person’s name and face.

The most memorable, of course, were the two cultivators at the Peak of Qi Refining, whom Xu Zhongyong introduced with particular solemnity.

The burly, disheveled man sitting in the center and cradling a Gold-Slaying Saber was named Du Zhen. He had a powerful frame, and even while seated, he was a full head taller than those around him.

The other was Chang Jianqiu, a middle-aged cultivator with a plain face but an exceptionally sharp gaze.

After a few pleasantries, Zhao Lin asked with a smile, "So, what was everyone discussing?"

Xu Zhongyong laughed. "What else? The sea voyage, of course. Have you ever been on this mission before, Fellow Daoist Zhao?"

Zhao Lin hesitated for a moment before deciding to be honest. "I have," he said frankly.

Xu Zhongyong’s eyes lit up. He clapped his hands and said, "What a coincidence! Fellow Daoist Du and Fellow Daoist Chang have been here before as well. Fellow Daoist Du killed three Earth Dark Sect cultivators, and Fellow Daoist Chang also has a kill to his name."

Hearing this, Zhao Lin said admiringly, "Your methods are formidable. I’m impressed."

Chang Jianqiu returned the cupped-fist salute and said coolly, "It was just a stroke of luck."

Du Zhen’s expression remained unchanged. He simply nodded in acknowledgment.

Xu Zhongyong didn’t ask about Zhao Lin’s own accomplishments, seemingly thinking it was remarkable enough that he had simply survived.

He continued, "We were also just discussing how the requirements for this mission suddenly changed. Originally, you only needed to have reached Minor Achievement in the Water Manipulation Skill, but halfway through the month, it was changed to require at least the Proficiency level."

"And that’s not all—the rewards have increased, too! The Spirit Stones and merit points for collecting Spirit Pearls are now fifty percent higher, and the merit points for killing an Earth Dark Sect cultivator have gone up from two hundred to five hundred."

"To be honest, I’ve been keeping an eye on this mission for a while. I always felt the risks outweighed the rewards, so I never accepted it. I only decided to join after I saw these changes."

"That’s a good thing."

Zhao Lin replied casually. ’So that’s why,’ he thought. ’That’s why the cultivators this time are a cut above the last group. It seems Chu Hongtian raised the mission’s requirements and rewards specifically to attract more powerful experts.’

Xu Zhongyong nodded. Suddenly remembering something, he raised his voice and said, "Hey, did you guys know? Two years ago, someone here killed fourteen Earth Dark Sect cultivators!"

"How is that possible?"

"Are the Earth Dark Sect cultivators made of paper?"

"That rumor can’t be true. It has to be an exaggeration..."

The crowd was shocked at first, then they all voiced their disbelief.

A smug look appeared on Xu Zhongyong’s face. "I’m not trying to fool you. I have a close friend who came to Red Tail Island two years ago. He was on the very same mission as that person!"

"He saw it with his own eyes. It’s the absolute truth."

Du Zhen asked, "What was his name?"

Xu Zhongyong frowned in thought for a moment. "I think his surname was Zhao," he said.

Du Zhen snorted. "A figure like that should be famous throughout the entire sect. Why have we never heard of him?"

The question stumped Xu Zhongyong. After a long pause, he came up with an explanation. "Perhaps it’s to protect him, to prevent the Earth Dark Sect from sending assassins after him."

"Besides, our sect and the Earth Dark Sect are officially at peace. It wouldn’t be good to publicize something like this too much."

The others were skeptical but didn’t press the matter further.

Chao Duan and the four Array Masters, of course, knew the man they were discussing was Zhao Lin, but they all remained silent.

Du Zhen suddenly spoke up. "Earth Dark Sect cultivators excel at underwater combat and often travel in groups of three to five. Anyone who runs into them alone will likely be in mortal danger."

"We should do the same. What does everyone think?"

Xu Zhongyong was the first to raise his hand in support. "Exactly. There’s strength in unity. We should stick together."

Du Zhen nodded. "In my experience, it’s best to keep underwater combat teams to five people or less. Any more than that and things get chaotic, making it impossible to cover everyone."

He paused, then asked, "Who wants to team up with me?"

"I do."

"Me too."

Xu Zhongyong and another cultivator replied.

"Stop!"

Several others were about to volunteer, but Du Zhen raised a hand to stop them. He turned to look at Chao Duan, who was behind Zhao Lin, and asked, "Is this Fellow Daoist willing to join?"

’Trying to poach my people?’

Zhao Lin sneered internally but remained outwardly impassive, sitting perfectly still without so much as a blink.

Chao Duan smiled. "The six of us are already a team. We won’t be joining any others."

Du Zhen’s brow twitched. He then turned his gaze to Chang Jianqiu.

"Sorry, I’m used to working alone."

Chang Jianqiu’s refusal was blunt and direct.

A flash of anger crossed Du Zhen’s eyes. His face darkened as he said, "Fine! If that’s how you want it, so be it!"

The atmosphere immediately turned awkward. Even Xu Zhongyong fell silent.

They sat for a while longer. As dusk fell, everyone retired to their own rooms to rest.

The next day, two more cultivators at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer arrived at the encampment, bringing the total number of mission participants to eighteen.

Every day, the cultivators went to the seashore to practice their underwater cultivation and combat skills, making the most of their time.

As the departure date drew near, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Everyone knew that the increased rewards also meant increased risks.

On the evening before their departure, Gan Xingquan came to the encampment to teach them the hand seals they would use to communicate during the mission.

"This seal is called the Fan Fall Seal. It has thirteen variations representing commands like ’advance,’ ’halt,’ ’turn,’ ’retreat,’ ’distress,’ ’warning,’ ’danger clear,’ and so on..."

As Gan Xingquan spoke, he opened his palm, pressing his thumb to the base of his middle finger while raising his pinky and extending his index, middle, and ring fingers.

As his hand shape shifted, he formed a seal that emitted various fluctuations of Mana.

The group practiced for a short while and quickly mastered them.

Next, just as before, Gan Xingquan passed around the Sea Map and explained how to collect Spirit Pearls, along with other important details.

Although Zhao Lin already knew it all by heart, he listened again without missing a single word.

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