Journey to the head

One day later, at the mirage ruins of Jade Pot Island, in the Haiyuan Pavilion.

A few days ago, Lu Qian and his party boarded the Haiyuan Pavilion's treasure ship and entered Yuhu Island undetected. However, surrounded by powerful enemies, they could not go out and could only stay in the pavilion to wait for an opportunity.

Finally, a mute servant came to announce that Hai Yiwei, the guest invited by Lu Qian in his letter, had arrived.

Lu Qian took a deep breath and stood up.

Lu Qian had many concerns about trying to contact Haiyiwei, feeling it was quite risky.

The Ascension Token is so precious that even though Hai Yiwei is Hai Shuangyao's father, it's not certain that he would support Lu Qian in possessing it because of Hai Shuangyao.

The intelligence indicates that he is the core leader of the third branch of the Hai family, the renowned Ninghai Army Commander, who always puts the interests of his family first and his father-daughter relationship second.
Therefore, rashly contacting him could very well result in being surrounded and captured. However, the situation has suddenly changed. Not only are there enemies of the Hai family lurking inside, but also elites of the Mi family are hunting on the outside. It is now a pipe dream to infiltrate the group of the Six Pillars of Immortal Fall using the previous plan. It is no longer possible to avoid taking the risk.

In his letter, Lu Qianxian pointed out that Hai Shuangyao's letter had been tampered with, indicating that there was an enemy lurking around her. In this way, he could not only remove the spies around Hai Shuangyao and do Hai Yiwei a favor, but also elevate the enemy who created the Jiling trap to a common enemy of himself and Hai Yiwei and his daughter. With a shared hatred of the enemy, they could always get closer to each other.

Now that Haiyiwei has accepted the invitation, it's finally the first step forward.

Next, you need to use your silver tongue to persuade this powerful and influential leader to support you and help you on your journey to the Dragon Palace.

"Junior brother..." Jiang Qingfeng stood up nervously. This meeting was still unpredictable. He had heard that Hai Yiwei had reached the peak of his primordial spirit and possessed extraordinary abilities. If a conflict were to break out...

"It's alright. Even the Hai family won't act rashly within the Haiyuan Pavilion."

Despite saying this, Lu Qian was actually unsure of himself. For the sake of the Ascension Token, anything was possible.

With the mission now imminent, Lu Qian could only instruct his senior sister and the other two to be prepared to evacuate through the secret passage of Haiyuan Pavilion at any time.

Finally arriving at the quiet room, the mute servant knocked on the door, and a heavy, loud voice came from inside.

"Come in."

The door swung open, and Lu Qian immediately saw the imposing man sitting upright in the center of the quiet room. He was extremely burly and imposing. He had broad shoulders and arms, dark skin, and piercing eyes that fixed intently on Lu Qian.

The spiritual pressure was as deep and vast as the ocean, like a giant beast lurking in the depths of the sea, ready to unleash a deafening roar at any moment.

Lu Qian's consciousness trembled slightly. This oppressive feeling... reminded him of the scene when he first met Master Chiyu.

Hai Yiwei is extremely powerful, and is once again invincible among his peers!
"This junior, Lu Qian, the head of Yunshan Sect in Cangzhou, Yuheng, pays respects to the senior."

Lu Qian bowed and paid his respects, feeling as if Hai Yiwei's gaze was like a knife, cutting right through him.

It took a long time before Hai Yiwei spoke again.

"Senior? What should you call me?"

Lu Qianwei was taken aback. Could it be that Hai Yiwei preferred—

"I misspoke. Greetings, Commander Wei. I wish Commander Wei boundless blessings and a swift attainment of enlightenment."

Hai Yiwei frowned and clicked his tongue, seemingly very dissatisfied.

"Never mind... I heard from Yao Yao that you should not be more than two hundred years old. How come your body is so old and frail?"

Is this the main point of this meeting? But it seems like a good start?
"Wei Shuai may have heard of the invasion of Yuheng by the Hundred Tribes of the Underworld sixteen years ago. In that battle, I sacrificed my lifespan and activated a secret technique in order to kill the Great Demon of the Primordial Spirit, hence this."

Hai Yiwei nodded: "Although it sacrifices lifespan, being able to kill a primordial spirit across major realms is not bad."

"Mr. Wei, you flatter me. I just had a stroke of luck." Lu Qian said modestly, trying to steer the conversation back to business.

But Hai Yiwei then asked, "Where are you from? Are your parents alive? What is your family background?"

Huh? Why are you asking this? Are the cultivators of the Immortal Fall Islands so arrogant that they have to consider the other party's social standing before helping them?

However, since he needed a favor, Lu Qian could only answer respectfully.

"I was originally from Quyang County, Qingzhou, Yuheng. I was an orphan and was later adopted by a mortal. My adoptive parents have probably been dead for a hundred years, so I have no family background to speak of. After joining the Yunshan Sect, I began cultivating for a short time, but the sect was destroyed. My master passed on the position of sect leader to me on his deathbed. After that, I went into exile and came to Cangzhou, where I waited for an opportunity to rebuild the sect. I have been trembling with fear and vigilance, and I have managed the sect to this day. I have finally achieved some success and have not let down my predecessors."

Unexpectedly, Hai Yiwei snorted coldly: "Bastard! What are you trying to hide in front of me? You look so smart, but don't you know that at this time, the more you boast about your family background, the better?"

Seeing the doubt in Lu Qian's eyes, Hai Yiwei simply said, "Yao Yao told me that you have a Void Refinement elder looking after you, why didn't you mention it?"

Elder Lianxu, ah, it's the Yuanpin Pearl!
Lu Qian could only shake his head and smile bitterly: "Actually, there is no such thing. When I was weak, I also used big names and tiger skins to survive, so there may be some misunderstandings. The fact that I was able to travel a million miles to get here this time is also because Taiyi Paradise took extra care of me and gave me a ride."

He thought that Hai Yiwei cared so much about family background, and that his words might displease Hai Yiwei. But to his surprise, Hai Yiwei stared at him for a moment and then nodded.

"Very good. Without relying on the blessings of your ancestors, you have been able to cultivate to your current level at the age of two hundred, and you have also been able to establish yourself and make a name for yourself in Yuheng. No wonder my Yao Yao praised you as the only one in the world, unparalleled in the world."

Did Hai Shuangyao say something good about me?
Lu Qian was overjoyed; it seemed that the success rate of today's matter had increased again.

He was about to speak when Hai Yiwei launched into a series of questions.

"How strong is your Yunshan Sect now? How many industries does it have? How much income does it generate each year? Are your relations with your neighbors amicable? Surely you're not constantly at war, which is extremely dangerous."

Lu Qian was a little confused by the series of questions. Then he thought, could it be that this Commander Wei, like me, has both great martial arts skills and business acumen, and is asking such detailed questions because he wants to establish trade relations with Yunshan?
This is a wonderful surprise!

If a draft economic and trade agreement can be established and deep connections can be built, wouldn't it be a sure thing for me to have the treasure voucher to explore the Dragon Palace?

So Lu Qian patiently gave an overview of the Yunshan Sect's overall strength, focusing on the market cluster centered around "Taobao Marketplace, Never-Night City, Frost Leaf Marketplace, and Plum Blossom Marketplace," the Yunshan Sect's production of weapons, elixirs, herbs, and military equipment, as well as its abundant treasury, high income, peaceful external environment, and powerful allies.

Seven parts fact, three parts embellishment; in short, it highlights the Yunshan Sect's strong economic power and makes them a very reliable trading partner.

"It's not bad; there's no shortage of food, clothing, or other necessities, and it's adequate as a place to rest temporarily."

A hint of satisfaction finally appeared on Hai Yiwei's face, but he suddenly raised his voice.

"You've achieved some success, but compared to my family, it's far from enough! There's nothing to be proud of; you're still far from my standards! Keep up the good work!"

Lu Qian sighed inwardly. It seemed that establishing trade relations with the Hai family wouldn't be so simple. Indeed, they were the high and mighty Six Pillars of Immortal Fall, a Void Refining family, residing in the resource-rich Immortal Fall Islands. They had everything they could want, so why would they care about the produce of a small, rural sect?
Lu Qian bowed and agreed.

Hai Yiwei didn't say anything more, and the two stared at each other, the room silent for a moment.

"Uh, are you finally done asking questions?" Seizing the opportunity, Lu Qian quickly bowed: "General Wei, I saved Shuang Yao by chance, and she gave me the Dragon Palace Ascension Certificate. I am truly grateful. But now—"

He had only said half of what he said before he launched into a long explanation of the pros and cons, eloquently offering a share of the profits, trying to persuade Hai Yiwei to allow him to keep the voucher.

Hai Yiwei raised his hand to stop him from speaking: "I know that there are people in the Hai family who know that the treasure certificate is in your hands, so you can no longer infiltrate my family's team with Yao Yao's help as you had planned."

Uh--

Hai Yiwei's reaction was completely unexpected, leaving Lu Qian stunned for a moment.

What does this mean? Haiyiwei doesn't intend for me to return the voucher?
Then haven't I been outsmarting thin air all this time?
Lu Qian was both amused and exasperated.

If I had known Hai Shuangyao had such a big influence, I should have contacted Hai Yiwei from the beginning!
Lu Qian quickly replied, "General Wei is wise, that is indeed the case. Since we cannot travel together, please tell me the location of the Dragon Palace, and I may go there on my own."

Hai Yiwei shook his head: "It's not that simple. The Dragon Palace is a top secret place of the Dragon Clan. Even though I've been inside once, I don't know its exact location."

"The Dragon Clan hid that place so well to prevent the Human Clan from spying on it. That area of ​​the sea is full of turbulent currents and whirlpools, full of traps and winding waterways. Even with the strongest divine sense of a cultivator, it is impossible to remember it clearly."

"After we gather on Jade Pot Island, we will travel to the designated sea area, where dragons will come up to guide us and tell us to transfer to dragon boats. The dragon boats are protected from divine sense, which is also to prevent us from recording the sea charts. In short, we have traveled the Dragon Palace ten times in the past ten thousand years, but the Immortal Fallen cultivators still have not found the location of the Dragon Palace."

"If you want to go to the Dragon Palace, you still have to go with the main group."

This is quite troublesome.

Lu Qian had just sighed when Hai Yiwei snorted angrily, "What's so funny about this little setback? What kind of behavior is this!"

After being reprimanded by Hai Yiwei in a senior's tone, Lu Qian was just thinking that this Wei Shuai was a bit too familiar with him when Hai Yiwei suddenly said something else.

"Just find the person who framed you and kill them!"

A chilling murderous intent filled the room, and the silence instantly turned as cold as ice. Lu Qian looked up abruptly; Hai Yiwei was not joking!

"As long as I kill that person, no one in the Hai family will know that you have the treasure certificate, and they won't pay any extra attention to you. Then I can arrange things to take you to the Dragon Palace!"

"Wei Shuai, that person is from the same clan as you, you..." Lu Qian couldn't help but ask.

"Our own kind?" Hai Yiwei narrowed his eyes, as if mountains of corpses and seas of blood were floating in the void behind him.

"He dared to plot against my Yao Yao, even if he had ten thousand lives, I would kill him all!"

He pulled at his palm, and the little orchid, frozen into an ice sculpture, flew out.

"It was this lowly servant girl whose soul was imbued with a curse, controlled by someone who altered Yao Yao's letter," Hai Yiwei said coldly. "Unfortunately, we can't kill her yet. I'll immediately mobilize the Ninghai army to conduct a thorough investigation, to find this person, and then chop both of them into mincemeat!"

Cursed restriction?

Lu Qian's heart stirred, and he walked closer to take a look.

After examining the situation carefully for a moment, he cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Hai Yiwei: "Commander Wei, may I give it a try?"

Hai Yiwei waved his hand, and Lu Qian placed his palm on Xiao Lanhua's forehead, secretly criticizing Hai Shuangyao's taste in choosing maids. Then, he activated his mental power, splitting into threads, and carefully invaded her.

First of all, I was shocked by Hai Yiwei's Xuanbing Wonder Technique, which was able to completely freeze everything on Xiaolanhua's body, and even prevent her from activating the soul restriction. It was almost as effective as my senior sister's Dragon Order Time Stop!
But Senior Sister's power was a divine ability born under the influence of the true dragon's blood, while Hai Yiwei's was merely some kind of secret technique, which has remained intact for so long without showing any signs of weakening.

Hai Yiwei's mastery of ice magic has reached a level of consummate skill!

Remembering what he just said about having entered the Dragon Palace, I wonder if this was also an opportunity he gained there. I hope that after the trip to the Dragon Palace, my senior sister will also make progress and won't spend all her time thinking about her lack of strength and feeling sorry for herself.

Putting these thoughts aside, Lu Qian began to fully manipulate the threads of his mental energy, probing the curse restrictions hidden deep within Xiao Lan Hua's soul.

This is a very sophisticated spell. The caster can remotely control the life and death of the victim, inflict cruel torture, and continuously influence the victim's mind, eventually gaining complete control over the victim.

Hai Yiwei's judgment was entirely correct. Once the victim dies or the spell is lifted, the caster will immediately sense it, alerting the enemy and causing great trouble.

These spells are indeed exquisite, but unfortunately, they've run into me.

"Judging from the fluctuations of this spell, the caster's mental strength is comparable to mine, so he must be a newly promoted Nascent Soul cultivator?" Lu Qian smiled and confidently withdrew his hand.

"As long as they don't completely defeat me, I can trace the source and find the person who cast the spell!"

Hai Yiwei's eyes widened and he shouted, "Is this really true?!"

He had originally thought that if it was a newly promoted primordial spirit, or even just an early stage primordial spirit, the scope would be narrowed considerably, making the investigation much easier. Perhaps he could find and eliminate this person before setting off.

But now Lu Qian said that he could directly trace the source, which surprised and delighted him, but then he became somewhat doubtful.

"Can you really pull off something like that?"

Lu Qian raised his sword fingers, and a bright white light radiated from his forehead.

"Wei Shuai is upright and honest, so naturally he knows nothing about sorcery, much less is he proficient in curses."

"Undoing curses, tracking, finding the root cause, and retaliating are the basic skills of a curse sorcerer."

Yin-Yang Arts: Mystery, Curse, and Flesh as a Catalyst!
The bright light of mental energy transformed into a dense, vibrating incantation, which suddenly poured into the little orchid's body, turning into a deep crimson color!
Little Orchid was frozen in time and couldn't experience the excruciating pain that should have been hers, which was a kind of luck. In the blink of an eye, fragments of her flesh and soul were peeled away, coalescing into a small ball, bound by magical chains and suspended above her head.

Then, under Hai Yiwei's astonished gaze, Lu Qian's left arm suddenly disintegrated, blood surging forth and flowing into the polymer of the little orchid's flesh and soul!
As the incantation was chanted, the mass of crimson slowly took shape, coalescing inwards to transform into a crimson orb. Within it, a mutilated face emitted painful wails—it was Little Orchid.

"It's done." A warm, five-colored light shone, and Lu Qian's left arm was completely restored, but his tone was much colder.

"Wei Shuai, this blood bead will guide you to the location of the caster."

Hai Yiwei suddenly said coldly, "You're playing with curses? Does Yao Yao know?"

Lu Qian frowned. What did this have to do with Hai Shuangyao?
But Hai Yiwei seemed very unhappy, so let's try to coax him.

"Commander Wei, as long as we can avenge Shuangyao, the curse is nothing to us." (End of Chapter)