Xuanjian: I am the tenth son of Zhenchi, and I plot to seize the throne from Zhenlong.

That night, a stone platform was erected outside the cave, and the old Taoist priest was gesturing wildly as he spoke, spittle flying everywhere. Everyone else, except for Yan Xujie who was still in seclusion, sat upright below.

"This is the principle behind the saying 'when water meets fire'..."

Ye Chaosheng's head was spinning from listening, and he couldn't help but ask, "Master, what is Bing Shui, and what is He Huo?"

The old Taoist priest on the stone platform's eyes lit up, and he praised, "Good question! As the name suggests, 'Bing Shui' means water that has been joined together. What kind of water has been joined together? That would be seawater."

"It's not river fire, it's called combined fire, which means all the fires are combined together."

Although he still didn't understand what fire combined looked like, Ye Chaosheng grasped some key points and hurriedly asked, "Then in the sea, wouldn't repairing water have a natural advantage?"

Unexpectedly, the old Taoist's expression turned serious, and he suddenly lowered his voice: "One cannot cultivate in the sea. The largest in the entire sea... is the Demon Lord's cultivation of water, so no one else can cultivate there."

He added, a hint of fear on his face, as if he had just thought of something.

"Even if you find the cultivation technique and obtain its power, you absolutely must not look at it or use it. Remember this well, or you will be killed!"

Ye Chaosheng thought to himself that this demon lord was too domineering, and then asked curiously, "Then what kind of cultivation did Master practice—water or fire?"

This question stumped the old Taoist priest. He stammered and then told Ye Chaosheng not to be too ambitious, but to first cultivate his embryonic breathing. He also gave him a scroll of the Spirit Rain Technique and told him to practice it. He said that in the future, he would have to share some of the work on the island.

Then the topic changed, and they started talking about various secrets, but most of them were only fragments, mixed with the old man's personal speculations.

After a while, the old Taoist stopped talking with a satisfied expression, took a sip of tea, and had a disciple who knew nothing to act as his straight man, which gave him a good laugh. He felt that it was time to make it work.

He then asked, "Chaosheng, have you used the spiritual item your senior sister gave you?"

"I used it. The spiritual item is truly precious. My cultivation has progressed several times in recent days."

His tone was enigmatic, and he sighed, seemingly talking to no one in particular: "Yeah, it's good that it works. Being stuck at a strategic pass is no fun."

The old Taoist priest gestured with his eyes for Yan Zhou and the other two to go and bring the people away. Ignoring the expression on his second disciple's face, he waved his hand and said, "Alright, tonight I'll show you how this spiritual object came to be."

Before long, under Ye Chaosheng's questioning gaze, Yan Zhou and his companion brought over two dazed-looking teenagers. Ye Chaosheng's heart skipped a beat, and his face turned pale as he thought of the scarlet liquid.

With a casual wave of his hand, the old Taoist priest used his spiritual energy to slowly move the stone platform aside, revealing a pool of scarlet water underneath. He then gestured for Ye Chaosheng to come closer.

"Rip!"

He walked stiffly to the edge of the pool, and behind him came the sound of fabric being torn. Then two naked figures were thrown in. There was no scream. The moment they touched the water, most of their bodies were melted and they lost their lives.

As the two blood creatures melted, the pool water slowly rose. Seeing this, the old Taoist waved his hand and made a hand seal, stirring the pool water with his spiritual power, instantly turning the two into blood.

An even more crimson liquid surged in the pool, wisps of blood mist rising up. Yan Zhou and his companion wore strange excitement as they held jade bottles, using their spiritual power to guide the blood mist into the bottles, where it condensed into liquid.

One bottle, two bottles... After drinking four and a half bottles, the blood mist above the blood pool thinned out. Only then did the old Taoist stop his hand seals, and the pool water returned to calm. The blood was once again buried by the stone platform.

When the half-full of blood mist was handed to him, and he was met with Yan Xujie's inexplicable smile, Ye Chaosheng finally came to his senses. Remembering the blood mist he had inhaled, he suddenly lowered his head and vomited.

He lowered his head and couldn't help but ask, "Demons are one thing, but...why do we have to..."

"boom!"

The immense force from his side blasted him away, sending him crashing into the stone platform. Ye Chaosheng coughed up a mouthful of blood, and the old Taoist's sinister voice rang out.

"What? My good disciple, aren't you satisfied with your improved cultivation?"

"Without cultivation, how can you defend against demons? What do you think you rely on to live?"

Yan Xujie rushed over, stuffed the half-bottle of blood energy into Ye Chaosheng's arms, shielded him behind him, and began to play the good cop:

"Master, please calm down. Junior Brother is just not used to it yet. He'll be fine in a few days, haha~ don't you think so, Junior Brother!"

An old man's murderous intent permeated his surroundings. Thinking of Ershan, a sense of sorrow welled up in Ye Chaosheng's heart. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn't say anything and just lowered his head.

After Yan Zhou and the other man walked away beside the old Taoist priest, Shunzai slowly walked over, glanced at Ye Chaosheng, said nothing, and then gestured for him to follow, heading towards the other side of the island.

"Where to?" Ye Chaosheng's tone was somewhat stiff; he was already preparing to leave this place.

"You want to leave, don't you?" Soon-jae walked ahead without turning his head.

Ye Chaosheng didn't deny it: "Yes, I'm leaving now. Senior sister... are you leaving too?"

Shunzai stopped and turned to look at Ye Chaosheng closely. Seeing his resolute expression, he sneered and then slapped him across the face.

She continued walking forward: "Fool, where do you think you're going? If I were you, I wouldn't say anything tonight, I'd flatter him instead. Now that you've offended him like this, you'll be caught up to within a few miles of sea. You think you can just leave?"

Ye Chaosheng was speechless after hearing what she said and fell silent, simply continuing to follow her.

A moment later, they arrived at the door of an islander's house, and Shunzai casually blasted the door open and dragged a man out.

When the mortal saw the jade pendants hanging from the waists of the two people, he thought he had offended the immortals in some way, and he was so frightened that he burst into tears and kowtowed until his head bled.

Shunzai stood aside with his arms crossed, speaking casually, "Ask whatever you want, and let this mortal answer you."

Ye Chaosheng hesitated for a moment, then drew a long sword from his waist and placed it on the kneeling man's shoulder, his tone terribly harsh: "Answer whatever I ask. If you lie to me, I'll have your head chopped off."

The man was so frightened that he trembled all over and dared not move, only nodding hurriedly.

"How many people do you support on the island each year?"

The man didn't understand why the immortal was asking this question. After thinking for a moment, he said in a trembling voice, "About fifteen or sixteen. If the harvest is bad, we'll offer more."

"Is the harvest bad?"

"If you make offerings to the immortals, they will summon auspicious clouds and send down divine rain, ensuring a bountiful harvest to feed even more people."

"...How should the person who makes the offerings be chosen?"

"Every year... more are born. Before they can speak, they are fed dirty water to burn their heads, and they become sacrificial offspring. Each family contributes some food to raise them. This is... the rule."

Ye Chaosheng's breath hitched for a moment, and he lowered his sword. He was somewhat dazed, and after a moment, he asked one last question:

"Do you... harbor any hatred?"

The man was terrified by his words and kowtowed again, weeping, "We also owe a debt to the Immortal for protecting the island and preventing demons from coming to kill us. If you have any requests, we will fulfill them wholeheartedly."

"I dare not hate!"