Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

Chapter 501: Chapter 305: Southern Sea

Three months later, Northern Domain, Southern Sea, Lingbao Island.

Although it was one of the four sides and not as outstanding as the Central Plains of the Northern Domain—where the extraordinary met the spiritually rich and where fortunes were made—it was nonetheless very affluent, benefiting from the endless resources of the vast sea. It even surpassed some of the neighboring lands of the Central Plains, and thus there were always tales of voyages at sea in search of immortality.

Scattered like stars across the vast sea were Loose Cultivators, various sects of all sizes, cultivator families, mortal kingdoms, amounting to “Thousand Sects of the Ten Thousand Islands and the Hundred Sects and Ten Factions.” The former referred to countless small households, while the latter comprised a hundred or so eminent sects and factions that occupied immortal islands and roamed the seas freely.

Lingbao Island, one of the “Hundred Sects,” well-known for a long time, was experiencing unprecedented grandeur today.

Beams of light streaked across the sky, with boats and ships, cloud scarves, Flying Swords, flower baskets, and some riding on Green Bulls or straddling White Cranes. It truly was a scene of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each displaying their Divine Power. They landed outside Lingbao Island, keeping a distance of a hundred miles.

“Is this Lingbao Island?”

“Expansive and powerful, dominating thousands of miles—this spectacle is indeed worthy of being one of the Southern Sea’s Hundred Sects!”

“Thousand Sects of the Ten Thousand Islands, Hundred Sects and Ten Factions. Although none from these Hundred Sects has ever become a Mahayana True Immortal, there was an ancestor who was an Integration Great Power. They have profound potentiality and extraordinary strength!”

“The current head of Lingbao Island is Master Lingbao, a late-stage Great Return to Void Cultivator and also a Fifth Rank Refinement Grandmaster. He possesses numerous Spiritual Treasures and even a Life-bound Immortal Instrument. Combined with Lingbao Island’s Fifth Rank Spiritual Treasure Great Array, even Integration Great Powers wouldn’t dare to trespass lightly!”

“That Li Xuanyuan thinks he’s an invincible stranger who crossed the river, but he doesn’t realize that there are countless formidable dragons in the Southern Sea. He comes into this vast ocean, not only is he careless, but he’s also so arrogant. Challenging Master Lingbao, does he really think he is an invincible Sword Cultivator?”

“Hmph, today he will learn that there are always stronger people out there, and higher heavens above his own!”

“Even if he can’t break his sword edge on this iron board that is Lingbao Island, he’ll still end up with a bloodied head!”

“Gentlemen, speak cautiously. That Li Xuanyuan is a Great Return to Void senior and a Sword Cultivator unmatched in battle. We should not underestimate him. Even for Master Lingbao, he must rely on the defense of the Spirit Island and combat with the Array. With such a battle beginning, the outcome is truly unpredictable!”

“Exactly, Master Lingbao may be one of our Southern Sea’s Hundred Sects, but his dealings with those so-called Immortal Sect Holy Lands of Central Plains are murky. He’s unreliable, and even once provoked the displeasure of Venerable Cangwu from the South Sea Sect, who trapped him on Lingbao Island for over a hundred years, and until now, he dares not leave the safety of the Great Array on the island easily.”

“Hmph, even Master Lingbao’s ancestors lacked virtue, forcibly taking over this island as their foundation and becoming one of the Hundred Sects of the Southern Sea. Then they turned into lapdogs for the Righteous Path of Central Plains. Do they really think by doing so they can be accepted? Those people inherently look down upon marginal sects and Loose Cultivators like us from the Immortal Path.”

“Li Xuanyuan also came from the Central Plains. It’s best to let ghosts fight ghosts, dogs bite dogs, to fight until both are injured, then we, the people of the Southern Sea, can benefit like fishermen reaping the rewards.”

“I heard that there’s a Fire Essence Spirit Vein within Lingbao Island, ranked at the Fifth Tier, which can be used to refine Immortal Instruments. Lingbao Island relies on it to amass a huge fortune and even refined a set of combined Spiritual Treasures known as the Nine-Nine Fire Dragon Beads. Together with the Fire Essence Spirit Vein on the island, they formed the Nine-Nine Fire Dragon Array, capable of refining even Great Return to Void Cultivators to death!”

“With that and Master Lingbao, a late-stage Return to Void Cultivator with fire attribute Heavenly Spirit, I wonder what capabilities Li Xuanyuan possesses to come and challenge him?”

Many Cultivators gathered a hundred miles from the island, watching Lingbao Island which was half-ready with its Great Array, all charged up and ready to go, their eyes filled with speculation.

Whether in the Martial World or the Cultivation Realm, joining in on the excitement and gossiping were timeless affairs. After all, people’s hearts are like a battlefield for fame and fortune. Where there is fame and fortune, there is excitement; and where there is excitement, there naturally lies fame and fortune.

Lingbao Island was now that hotspot of excitement.

“We’ve talked so much, but who exactly is this Li Xuanyuan to dare challenge Lingbao Island?”

“You don’t know about him?”

“This person arrived in the Southern Sea a month ago, with no known origin or identity, only known by the surname Li, self-titled Xuanyuan, and a Loose Cultivator who practices Swordsmanship. He has unparalleled swordsmanship, unmatched in combat. When he first appeared on Lingbao Island, he purchased a large amount of Spirit Materials and even Method of Equipment Refinement, and seems to be an Artifact Refiner as well.”

“Unexpectedly, no sooner had he left Lingbao Island than he encountered the Three Demons of Red Flame!”

“The notorious Three Demons of Red Flame?”

“Correct, these Three Demons of Red Flame are Robbing Cultivators, infamous and ferocious. All three are Deity Transformation Cultivators, similarly born of fire spirits, practicing fire bodies. Their Red Flame Demonic Fire was extremely formidable. They liked to plunder juniors, oppress the weak, and murder for treasure!”

“Li Xuanyuan concealed his Cultivation level, posing as a Nascent Soul and lavishly spent Spirit Stones on Lingbao Island, drawing the attention of the Three Demons of Red Flame. After leaving the island, when they sought to ambush him, he killed them all with but two fingers and a sword.”

“Killing the three demons with two fingers and a sword, such prowess—undoubtedly the work of a Return to Void!”

“Thereafter, he proclaimed to the world that the Three Demons of Red Flame were nurtured by Lingbao Island. Using this as a pretext, he challenged Master Lingbao. Although Master Lingbao came forward to clarify and refused the challenge, he still forcefully set the date for today’s battle, stating that if Master Lingbao refused to fight, he would let his sword strike and take his life!”

“Such a fierce disposition, truly befitting of a Sword Cultivator!”

“Hmph, this person concealed his cultivation, feigned extravagance, squandering Spirit Stones inside Lingbao Island and buying Refining Spirit Materials. He even sought to purchase various Artifact Skills from Lingbao Island, hinting that he too was a Refinement Grandmaster, evidently with ulterior motives, wanting to lure others into his trap.”

“Lingbao Island is no saint either. Seeing that the other party was also a Refinement Grandmaster, they played into their wrongful desires. Even if the Three Demons of Red Flame were not their hunting dogs, they are undoubtedly connected. Now, being counter-killed while fishing for prey is nothing but the result of their own deeds!”

The crowd discussed vigorously, gradually untangling the sequence of events.

At that time, high in the sky, within the vault of heaven.

A few individuals also gathered, looking down upon the Spirit Island with a cold detachment.

“With such preparation, Old Ghost Chen’s Array Formation Cultivation has progressed again!”

“The Nine-Nine Fire Dragon Array, originally a Fifth Rank, but with the Fire Essence Spirit Vein’s years of accumulation, plus the set of Nine-Nine Fire Dragon Beads that Old Ghost Lingbao has refined, when fully unleashed, has the power of a Sixth Rank Array, and it is a fiery Refining and Killing Array. It is indeed formidable!”

“Given this, Old Ghost Chen is well defended within the Array. Not to mention us Return to Void Cultivators, even the Venerable Cangwu of the South Sea Sect, an Integration Great Power, didn’t dare to attack it head-on at that time, and only trapped him outside the Array!”

Everyone present was a Great Return to Void Cultivator, with extraordinarily keen eyesight and a sharp gaze, looking at the island’s formation with a degree of solemnity.

But the topic quickly changed, as a woman with a ingratiating smile said, “Fellow Daoists, has anyone discovered Li Xuanyuan’s background?”

“Do we even need to say it?”

A person responded with a cold laugh, “The Bright Moon Commerce Guild is one of the three great commerce guilds of the Southern Sea. Fairy Lu, as the head manager of the Bright Moon Commerce Guild, knows nothing of this man. How would we lesser clans have such knowledge?”

There was a tone of sarcasm and mockery in their voices.

Unperturbed by this, the woman said, “I’ve already checked, and there is no such person of note in the Central Plains. I haven’t heard of him in the Eastern Abyss, the Western Barbarians, or the Northern Frontier. It’s as if he’s appeared out of nowhere.”

“Crossing the Tribulation one should not be provoked, Mahayana ones seldom emerge, Integration is already the pinnacle among the known, and this person is also a Sword Cultivator with Return to Void cultivation. No matter where he is, he must be a prominent figure. How could he have remained so obscure?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Either he’s assuming a false identity to mislead others, or he’s been in seclusion and has only recently emerged.”

“Regardless, he comes with ill intentions this time, but it’s uncertain whether Old Ghost Chen can withstand him or not.”

“Sword Cultivators are sharp and hard to counter; this man is well-prepared, heading straight for Lingbao Island, so he must have something to rely on!”

“In recent days, Old Ghost Chen has been calling in favors, inviting allies to join in the fray, clearly very wary of this formidable opponent from across the river.”

After discussing for a while, they looked at the woman again and asked teasingly, “Fairy Lu, Lingbao Island has cooperated with the Bright Moon Commerce Guild for many years and shares a secret bond. Today, I wonder if you’ll lend a helping hand?”

The woman shook her head with a light smile, “You jest, my friends. Our Bright Moon Commerce Guild always aspires to kindness, valuing peaceful profit-making above all, never getting involved in such disputes. How dare I break the rules?”

“Well said!”

The same person spoke again, “After all, this man is also a Refinement Grandmaster. If he manages to seize the foundation of Lingbao Island, cooperation with the Bright Moon Commerce Guild won’t end. There’s no reason for Fairy Lu to engage in the fight!”

“If this person can break Old Ghost Chen’s Nine-Nine Fire Dragon Array, then among those of Return to Void, if not invincible, he is rarely matched. Even those of Integration Great Power without taking a bit of risk might not be able to capture him!”

“Sword Cultivators—how sharp indeed!”

Everyone sighed deeply, their words heavy with weight.

In the Southern Sea, among the Hundred Sects that claimed Integration heritage, the majority were actually only forces of the Return to Void. They only had some potential left behind because their ancestors were Great Powers of Integration. In reality, only thirty clans had Integration Great Powers presiding over them,

Just as it is with the Hundred Sects, the Ten Sects weren’t much better off. Although they’ve produced characters like the ‘Master of the Marginal Path,’ the past is the past, and the present is the present. Nowadays, the sects that have a Mahayana True Immortal or Sect Hierarch presiding are only three. The rest are merely Integration forces.

Therefore, they aren’t too keen on seeing a battle-savvy outsider, nearly at the level of Integration, come here to take over Lingbao Island and establish a foothold in the Southern Sea. Surely, it would encroach upon their interests.

But what can they do if they don’t want it to happen?

Being one of the three major commerce guilds of the Southern Sea, with several Integration Great Powers and close trade relations with Lingbao Island, the Bright Moon Commerce Guild is not willing to aid in its defense. They are even less likely to intervene.

After all, he’s a Sword Cultivator, an unparalleled one at that, and a loner with no attachments.

Since the Southern Sea is considered a Marginal Path with relatively weaker cultivators, unless they specialized in combat, even those with Integration Great Power were not confident they could firmly capture a Return to Void Sword Cultivator like him. If they were careless and let him escape, his revenge could bring endless trouble and loss to themselves.

Not to mention that he also has the potential to break through to Integration!

A loner who is an Integration Sword Cultivator would not be easily provoked, even by the three great factions of the Southern Sea with Mahayana presiding over them.

Thus, if the Bright Moon Commerce Guild won’t take part, these Return to Void forces surely won’t either.

They could only sigh and say, “At this point, we can only watch and see what methods and luck Old Ghost Chen has!”

No sooner had they finished speaking than they saw…

The wind and clouds suddenly changed, alarming everyone in all directions.

A figure in green, ethereal and sword-like in posture, approached as if walking on music,

“Ready to grind the bright blade, who dares to tire me out, in the early dawn the jade dragon roars out from its sheath.”

“The three feet of spirit in hand IS like ice, the essence on stone resembles a slithering snake.”

“Treacherous blood silently follows the current, today’s fierce bullies scatter like stains washed away.”

“To level the unjust issues of this floating world, I shall rise to the Ninth Heaven with you.”

“The Southern Sea begins to sharpen swords today, where will Xuanyuan’s questioning of Dao end?”

“Come!!!”