Mortal: Fifteenth Realm Sword Cultivator

Chapter 239 Suspected Nascent Soul Cultivator

In the Chaotic Star Sea, they knew the overall situation and the distribution of power, but here, they were completely in the dark.

"It seems you are not cultivators from Tiannan."

This is not a question, but a statement.

Zi Ling and Yuan Yao both fell silent.

Compared to before, Nangong Wan appeared more composed and calm. She walked around the campfire and slowly took a few steps forward.

Zi Ling and Yuan Yao both stepped back at the same time. Yuan Yao's mouth was slightly open, ready to unleash her natal flying sword if things went wrong.

"Remove your smokescreen; it means nothing to me."

Upon hearing this, the two lightly made hand gestures, and the light and shadow around them swayed and blurred like ripples on water.

The next moment, the concealment was completely removed, revealing her true appearance.

Nangong Wan glanced back and forth between the two of them a few times.

"Such appearance and demeanor, even when facing a Nascent Soul cultivator, he did not lose his composure. This is not something that ordinary rogue cultivators can possess."

Yuan Yao, who had remained silent the whole time, took a deep breath, suppressed all her emotions, and slowly said, "Senior, it was truly a misunderstanding that we broke into your sect's territory. Apart from some personal belongings, we have nothing of value. If you find anything of interest, we are willing to offer it to you."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Wan's expression turned languid. "Are you treating me like the kind of villain who uses trickery and force to plunder and exploit the younger generation?"

Yuan Yao was taken aback by these words and was about to explain something when Zi Ling gently pressed her arm.

"This junior dares not have such intentions; I merely wish to use this to seek an opportunity."

Nangong Wan chuckled upon hearing this, casually sat down on a flat bluestone nearby, crossed her legs, and gently wiggled her toes.

"You came from that teleportation array, right?"

As soon as those words were spoken...

Zi Ling and Yuan Yao immediately held their breath.

No need to guess anymore.

From the first few questions the other party asked, we probably already discerned the truth.

It seems that today's matter will not be easily resolved.

The two exchanged a glance, both reading the resolute intent in each other's eyes.

In any case, if I am to be captured, have my cultivation sealed, and be imprisoned and manipulated, then I might as well fight to the death here.

Even death and the loss of one's spiritual essence are better than enduring endless humiliation.

The moment this thought arose, Nangong Wan uttered a single sentence that instantly silenced the two, causing them to drop all their guard.

Do you know Lu Jianghe?

Upon hearing this, Zi Ling and Yuan Yao had to take several deep breaths to barely calm their turbulent emotions.

So much so that Nangong Wan saw a burning light in their eyes.

That is the most genuine expression of human emotion, which is completely uncontrollable.

"It seems we know each other."

In the center of the boundless sea are seven sacred islands.

The sea surface suddenly dropped, forming a whirlpool.

Three streaks of light shot out from the depths of the vortex and hovered in mid-air; they were the three late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators from Tiannan.

"If this hadn't happened, who would have thought that a huge hidden danger that could have been buried in Tiannan had been right here all along?"

Master Zhiyang spoke with a hint of melancholy.

Wei Wuyai chuckled, a rare occurrence for him: "After investigating, it turns out that the origin of the formations on these seven spirit islands is indeed related to the invasion of the ancient demon realm."

The Old Demon of Hehuan had remained silent since he appeared, gazing intently downwards, seemingly lost in thought.

Master Zhiyang wore a wry smile: "I had previously returned to my sect and searched through the ancient texts of our lineage. I never expected to actually find clues there. My Taizhen Sect was originally a branch of the Zhenji Sect, one of the three great Daoist sects in the Great Jin cultivation world. Back then, we moved to Tiannan precisely to guard this ancient sealing formation. However, due to the passage of time, our lineage was almost severed. If it weren't for this great upheaval, I'm afraid no one would know to this day that beneath these seemingly serendipitous seven islands, there lies the monstrous demonic energy left over from the ancient demon realm's invasion of the human world."

"When I learned of this information, my Dao heart, which had been dormant for many years, tightened instantly. Judging from the astonishing spiritual energy surging from Ling Island, wasn't this a sign that the sealing formation had been broken? Alas, so I hurriedly summoned you two here. After all, if the true demonic energy suppressed below were to leak out, most of Tiannan would probably be affected, and it would no longer be suitable for us cultivators to survive. Who would have thought that my alarm would be for nothing?"

Wei Wuyai shook his sleeves and asked in confusion, "Brother Zhiyang, is there a mistake in the records, or has the true demonic energy already been completely obliterated by this ancient formation? Otherwise, how could the abyss be completely empty? After all, the three of us just witnessed it with our own eyes."

Master Zhiyang stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "The records should be accurate. Although the lineage of our Taizhen Sect is fragmented, our ancestors would never dare to be careless about such records that concern the safety of an entire realm."

"You don't cultivate demonic arts, so it's understandable that you don't know this. In my perception, at the bottom of the abyss, there are still some residual auras lingering. It doesn't seem like they've been dissipated for a long time, but rather like they were forcibly absorbed and completely removed in a short period of time."

Upon hearing this, the two people beside him fell silent for a moment.

At their level and status, there is really no need for them to speak recklessly on such a momentous matter concerning the fate of the entire nation.

Master Zhiyang spoke slowly, his expression grave: "To be able to refine and absorb ancient demonic energy, one's cultivation level is probably beyond our comprehension. Even Nascent Soul stage cultivators might not be able to do that?"

Wei Wuyai said, "It's hard to say for sure, but in any case, the outcome was a close call."

Master Zhiyang continued, "Fortunately, it was a false alarm. By now, all of our disciples should have finished exploring these seven spirit islands, right? The resources that have already been discovered are enough to support a dozen or so Nascent Soul cultivators without any difficulty."

Each of these seven islands contains enough resources to support several highly talented cultivators to reach the Nascent Soul stage.

A glint flashed in the eyes of the Old Demon of Hehuan, and he said slowly, "I think it would be better to make some changes to the previous agreement."

Wei Wuyai's expression remained unchanged; he simply gazed at him silently.

Master Zhiyang gently flicked his whisk, as if he had already anticipated his words, and replied in a gentle voice, "What is Brother Gu's meaning?"

The Old Demon of Hehuan glanced at the two of them and snorted coldly in his heart. These two clearly had their own plans, but they insisted on waiting for him to speak first.

"It would be too frivolous and unremarkable to decide the seven spirit islands with only three rounds of competition among early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators. It would be better to raise the cultivation level cap of the participants to mid-stage Nascent Soul. This way, the true strength of each sect can be seen, and the results will be more convincing."

Ultimately, having early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators engage in arena battles is simply too unpredictable.

If the battle could be changed to be fought by mid-Nascent Soul cultivators, then whether it is the Righteous Alliance, the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, or the Demonic Path forces, they can all send out old monsters with profound foundations and long-standing reputations.

Therefore, when facing the Heavenly Alliance, unless that couple personally intervenes, the outcome is predictable.

Wei Wuyai merely glanced at the Old Demon of the Joyful Union, and said with a half-smile, "I think there's no need to change it; just stick to the previous agreement."

Upon hearing this, the Old Demon of Hehuan's face immediately darkened. "This suggestion is no different from before. Brother Wei, why don't you tell me what your concerns are?"

Wei Wuyai's voice was calm, "Now, news about the Seven Islands Arena betting has already spread throughout Tiannan. The rules are set, and if they are changed because of what you and I say, Brother Gu may not care, but I, Wei Wuyai, still have my pride."

A cold glint flashed in the eyes of the Old Demon of Hehuan, and he narrowed his eyes slightly. "It's just allowing mid-Nascent Soul cultivators to appear. In terms of the overall situation, it seems to make no difference, right?"

Wei Wuyai's expression remained unchanged, but his tone deepened: "The resources of the Spirit Island are ultimately finite. I think Brother Gu should focus more on that ancient teleportation array. If a stable passage can be opened, it will be a major event for Tiannan, and the future ranking of the four major powers in Tiannan may depend on who controls the passage."

Seeing the sharp edge in their words, Master Zhiyang quickly waved his hand.

"In my opinion, the rules of the competition have already been set and should not be changed."

Hearing this, what else could the Old Demon of Hehuan say?

Of course, he only mentioned it casually.

After all, the spiritual vein resources contained in these seven spiritual islands were truly something he envied.

In fact, according to his thinking, why should we follow any established rules for division?

As a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, one should simply make the decision directly; there's no need for such roundabout methods and wasting time.

As the three talked, they flew toward one of the giant islands.

Because the island resembles a turtle, it has been temporarily named "Spirit Turtle Island".

The entire island's boundary was covered by layers of array light, and the prototypes of pavilions and towers gradually rose along the mountainside.

In the center of the island, there is a wide and flat depression, and the battlefield for this competition will be set there.

At this moment, figures from various factions began to arrive one after another.

Wei Wuyai said calmly, "I won't come this time. This place is too far from the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, and if anything changes, it will be inconvenient to travel between them."

'

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Master Zhiyang nodded slightly. "Of course. This matter will be handled by this old Daoist. Brother Wei need not trouble himself."

Upon hearing this, Wei Wuyai said no more and his figure vanished in an instant.

The Old Demon of Hehuan gazed in the direction the other had gone and casually remarked, "The ownership of the Seven Islands will likely fall into only a few categories. But that ancient teleportation array is the key to the future格局 (geju, a term referring to the overall situation or landscape). Brother Zhiyang, would you like a share?"

The old master stroked his beard and smiled, "How could I not know? It's just that as long as the teleportation array cannot be activated, everything is just a mirage."

If the connection were ever truly established, not only would the six major sects of the demonic path be thrown into turmoil, but the entire Tiannan region would likely be thrown into chaos.

The Old Demon of Hehuan nodded slightly, a glint of malice in his eyes: "Brother Zhiyang, it's understandable for a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator to act, but we both witnessed the feats beneath that ten-thousand-foot abyss. There's no faking it. What kind of opportunity could allow a cultivator to ascend to the Divine Transformation realm in one step?"

Master Zhiyang remained silent.

Although the three had not discussed it in detail before, they all understood each other's intentions.

To be able to do that, to completely refine and absorb the ancient true demonic energy from beneath the bottomless abyss.

Even a Nascent Soul stage cultivator couldn't do that.

I have cultivated myself to this point.

All they sought in their lives was to seek out opportunities, collect rare and precious materials, and accumulate spiritual power.

Now an opportunity beyond imagination is looming before us; who could remain unmoved?

It's just that no one was the first to break the ice.

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