Chapter 470: Chapter 416: Sword-toothed Pompano

Yongdeng Ansha, in the murky depths of the ocean.

Two cultivators from the Earth Dark Sect were using the Water Storage Skill, swimming forward in complete silence.

The Water Storage Skill was a type of Diving Skill. Unlike magic such as the Water Manipulation Skill or the Fubo Skill—which focused on speed or offered offensive and defensive capabilities—its mana fluctuations were minuscule, making it incredibly difficult to detect.

Its only downside was its slow speed, which made it perfect for stealth and sneak attacks.

Before long, a forest of towering, multicolored coral appeared before them, resembling a vibrant, underwater jungle.

"This is far enough. Any farther and we’ll be at Kuimu Beach, the heart of the Chenghua Sect’s territory. It’s a convenient hub to get anywhere."

The speaker, a cultivator with a thick beard and a receding hairline, slowly came to a halt. He pulled a silvery-white talisman from his sleeve.

The surface of the talisman was exceptionally smooth and gave off a faint, silvery glow. In the center of its intricate script were two words: Mirror Trace.

"Heiqi, you’ve really thought of everything! I can’t believe you even prepared a Mirror Tracing Talisman to track that kid Zhao!"

The other cultivator, a man with a goatee, swam over, his voice filled with delight.

"Haha, you flatter me, Oda! The sect has dispatched so many experts. If we want to get a leg up on the competition, we have to use our heads."

The balding cultivator couldn’t suppress a smile as he patted the talisman in his hand. "These talismans aren’t easy to come by. It took quite a bit of work to get my hands on this one."

"Heiqi, from what I understand, a Mirror Tracing Talisman has to be activated twice. The first activation collects the target’s aura, and only the second activation can actually begin the tracking."

Oda looked puzzled. "Where did you get Zhao Lin’s aura? Don’t tell me you’ve actually fought him before, Heiqi?"

"You don’t have to fight someone to collect their aura."

Heiqi smiled smugly. "To be honest, Oda, I started planning this the moment the bounty was posted. I’ve been disguising myself and sneaking into Dongfu Market to gather intel on Zhao Lin’s movements."

"I discovered that the man’s cultivation methods are incredibly extravagant; he spares no expense. He’s always training at the Spirit Cultivation Pavilion. I have no idea where he gets all that money!"

"But that gave me an idea. Once he finished his training and left the Spirit Cultivation Room, I sweet-talked the attendant to find out which room he had used. Then, I bribed them with a few Spirit Coins to let me into that same room."

Comprehension dawned on Oda’s face. "Brilliant! As long as Zhao Lin cast any magic in the Spirit Cultivation Room, the entire place would be saturated with his aura!"

Heiqi chuckled. "Exactly. And just like that, I got his aura with no trouble at all."

Oda said admiringly, "Heiqi, you’re a master plotter. I’m truly impressed."

"It’s a matter of necessity, really."

Heiqi’s smile slowly faded, and he let out a soft sigh. "You know how it is. The Foundation Establishment Pills have always been monopolized by the major families. For commoner cultivators like us, earning enough contribution points is nearly impossible!"

"If we don’t take risks and resort to a few tricks, how will we ever ascend to the Great Dao?"

Oda shared the sentiment. "You’re right. It’s incredibly hard to get ahead. I wouldn’t have risked taking this mission otherwise."

Then, a hint of confusion crossed his face. "Heiqi, why did you ask me to join you? Sen Cheng and Ping Yuan are on good terms with you, and they’re powerful. Why not ask them?"

Heiqi thought, ’It’s because you’re spineless and have no connections, so I don’t have to worry about you trying to take all the credit.’ But what he said was, "Those two are arrogant and condescending. They’re fine to be around on a normal day, but they aren’t the kind of people I’d choose to partner with."

"You, Oda, are easy-going and approachable. You’re trustworthy. Besides, Zhao Lin has already mastered his Water Manipulation Skill. Killing him will be no easy feat."

"I know you raise a school of Sword-toothed Pompano that excel at swarming and chasing down targets. That’s why I wanted to partner with you."

Hearing this, Oda smiled. "I’ll be sure to give it my all. I won’t disappoint you, Heiqi."

Then, a note of concern entered his voice. "But Zhao Lin killed Qingchi and Yamauchi. He’s even stronger now... Are you sure the two of us can take him?"

Heiqi silently scoffed at Oda’s cowardice but waved his hand dismissively. "Qingchi and Yamauchi might have had some talent, but they were fresh out of the Spirit Dao Institute. How could they possibly compare to us? At best, they were only at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer. What is he, some kind of monster with three heads and six arms?"

"But you have a point," Heiqi conceded. "The kid won’t be a pushover. We just need to be careful."

Oda thought for a moment before adding, "By getting a head start on this, we won’t be angering ’those three’, will we?"

Heiqi knew Oda’s "those three" referred to three elite cultivators who had reached a higher realm. He sneered, "What’s there to be afraid of? We’re succeeding through our own skills. Even the council of elders won’t be able to say a thing."

"Besides," Heiqi continued, "as long as we kill Zhao Lin and earn those twenty thousand contribution points, we’ll each get a Foundation Establishment Pill. Foundation Establishment will be within our grasp! Why would we still need to fear them then?"

Oda considered this, realized it was true, and fell silent.

Heiqi composed himself, circulating the Spiritual Power through his body before lightly tapping the Mirror Tracing Talisman.

A flash of light streaked past. The talisman erupted, shooting out thousands of rays of red light that scattered in every direction like countless crimson threads!

But it wasn’t over. The talisman dissolved into a cloud of silvery mist. Water-aspected Spiritual Qi billowed and swirled within it, gradually condensing into a mirror the size of a silver platter.

The mirror’s surface was blurry at first, but after about fifteen minutes, the haze parted, clearly reflecting the image of a person.

"Excellent. He’s alone, and not far from here!"

...

At that very moment, Zhao Lin was patrolling the waters near Shen Shui Beach, northwest of Yongdeng Ansha, hunting for cultivators from the Earth Dark Sect.

The mission had begun four hours ago, but he had no immediate plans to enter the Earth Dark Sect’s territory.

There were two reasons.

First, the Earth Dark Sect had six cultivators at the Peak of Qi Refining. Their combined strength was formidable, and it would be foolish to venture rashly into their territory.

Furthermore, two men and one woman among them gave Zhao Lin an inexplicable sense of danger, putting him on high alert.

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