The Desolate Spirit Ghost Lord stood atop the Two-Headed Mandarin Duck, its pitch-black eyes flickering with a cold, luminous ghost-fire, staring down at the multitude of Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators below. It remained silent, calculating how to handle the situation, observing that the cultivators vastly outnumbered the ghost cultivators, thus postponing any immediate action.
Similarly, the leaders of several late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator factions surrounding Desolate Spirit City appeared to be consulting amongst themselves, showing no inclination to open a dialogue with the ghost cultivators.
“This island is the cultivation ground of my master, the Venom Spirit Ghost Lord! It has nothing to do with you East Sea cultivators. Why have you launched such a massive invasion of my master’s domain? Retreat immediately, and my master will not pursue the matter further.”
Seeing the Ghost Lord remain silent, the Corpse King knew its subordinates could not simply stand by while the enemy pressed forward. Understanding the implicit command in the Ghost Lord’s silence, the Corpse King roared at the assembled cultivators.
“Nonsense! The islands of the Crimson Sea have never had a master!”
“Hmph, a ghost cultivator dares to be so arrogant as to call itself a Ghost Lord!”
“With us cultivators of the Heavenly Dao Alliance present, how can we tolerate such insolent ravings from you wicked ghost cultivators!”
Immediately, numerous Nascent Soul cultivators from the Heavenly Dao Alliance stepped forward, rebuking the ghost cultivators sternly. As orthodox cultivators of the East Sea Cultivation World, they naturally held deep disdain for evil cultivators like the ghost lineage, preferring to eliminate them swiftly.
The leaders of the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators observed coldly, making no move to stop the ensuing argument.
They were waiting for the Ghost Lord to speak. While there were many ghost cultivators present, the only one posing a genuine threat was the Ghost Lord itself.
The Desolate Spirit Ghost Lord, seeing that the Corpse King’s arguments and the ensuing noise from the cultivators were achieving nothing, finally spoke, its tone detached.
“This Lord pursues the Great Dao through the Path of Ghosts. I stand independently between Heaven and Earth, concerning myself not with the affairs of the Cultivation World. I belong neither to your East Sea lineage nor to the Demon Cultivator lineage. With this Desolate Spirit Island as my boundary, I form my own domain, infringing upon none of your territories. Although the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance forbid the emergence of ghost cultivator forces in the East Sea Archipelagos, they have never prohibited their appearance in the Crimson Sea. This Lord establishes sovereignty here on this island, a matter entirely unrelated to you East Sea cultivators. Moreover, since its establishment, my Desolate Spirit Ghost Island has never provoked any of your Crimson Sea or East Sea cultivation powers. Your massive incursion into my borders is excessively tyrannical. Do you perhaps believe my Desolate Spirit Ghost Island is weak, and this Ghost Lord is incompetent!?”
For a moment, that chilling, obscure voice resonated mightily, shaking the entire Desolate Spirit City. Every cultivator within hundreds of miles surrounding the city felt the voice sounding as if it were right beside their ears; even those who sealed their spiritual perception could hear it with perfect clarity.
“This Lord has deployed the Thousand-Mile Ghost Mist Soul-Bewitching Grand Array across this Desolate Spirit Island to defend against the Tribulation of Ascension to Spirit Transformation. However, if you insult this Lord too greatly, this Lord does not mind utilizing this Ghost Mist Grand Array against you!”
The Desolate Spirit Ghost Lord finished speaking sinisterly and waved a withered claw.
Instantly, the sky for a thousand miles churned with layers of ghostly mist, and countless vengeful spirits and ferocious specters cried out in unison. Ten thousand ghosts howled, causing the heavens and earth to change color. The rolling ghost mist above seemed heavy enough to crush everything down.
If this dense mist, filled with countless vengeful spirits and specters, were to rush down together, even the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators present would likely change expression. The Golden Core cultivators with lower cultivation levels were shaken by the wails and shrieks of the ghosts, their minds destabilized, causing them to instantly stagger.
“Ghost Lord, your words are misplaced! My Heavenly Dao Alliance is the premier Immortal Alliance of the East Sea Cultivation World, yet we have always valued peace and harbor no intention of becoming enemies with the Ghost Lord. This Alliance Master has come to Desolate Spirit City this time concerning an old case.”
A voice, slightly cold yet carrying a semblance of gentle peace, drifted faintly, making it impossible to locate the speaker’s origin.
However, all the cultivators could sense an immense, unparalleled aura surging heavenward. This aura pressed directly toward the Ghost Lord high in the sky.
The assembled cultivators looked up in shock.
In the Heavenly Dao Alliance contingent, a vast floating cloud, emitting a soft, seven-colored precious light, soared upward, completely ignoring the anti-flight restrictions of the Ghost Mist Grand Array.
Standing atop this cloud was a thin, elderly man with youthful features despite his crane-like white hair, wearing a white robe embroidered with cloud patterns and a silver coronet pointing towards the sky. He stood with his hands behind his back, a smile playing on his lips.
Yet, no one dared to show the slightest disrespect because of his benevolent appearance; the formidable spiritual pressure radiating from him was terrifying.
Behind this cloud-robed elder stood two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators and ten Golden Core cultivators. Although these cultivators wore robes of different designs, a uniform cloud emblem was visible on their cuffs.
This blatant disregard for the flight restriction immediately provoked an attack from the Ghost Mist Grand Array. A colossal Ghost Fiend, formed by the convergence of numerous vengeful spirits, opened its spectral maw and lunged ferociously toward the floating cloud, brandishing its ghostly claws. But as the Ghost Fiend drew near, the seven-colored divine light around the cloud flared intensely, piercing the Ghost Fiend repeatedly with countless rays of treasured light. It dissolved rapidly like snow, unable to close the distance.
“The insignia of White Float Palace from the East Sea Archipelagos…”
“The Northern Alliance Master, it is Alliance Master Li!”
“To actually see Alliance Master Li in person, this junior is truly fortunate…”
Alliance Master-level cultivators of the Heavenly Dao Alliance are rarely seen. Few cultivators could recognize this elder’s face if they encountered him casually; they might not realize he was one of the five Alliance Masters of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, the Northern Alliance Master.
Immediately, many Golden Core cultivators from the Crimson Sea realm erupted in excited shouts.
White Float Palace, as the Immortal Palace of the Heavenly Dao Alliance’s Northern Sector, boasted a deep accumulation of seven or eight thousand years, even though it wasn't an Immortal Palace inherited from ancient times. Under the leadership of this current Palace Master, it flourished, seizing the position of the Heavenly Dao Alliance’s Northern Alliance Master and becoming the most powerful top-tier Immortal Palace, commanding all Immortal Palaces in the northern islands.
“Why has Alliance Master Li come personally?”
“Alliance Master Yu, an eighth-layer Nascent Soul cultivator, has little lifespan remaining and has long given up on breaking through to the Spirit Transformation stage! His journey to the Crimson Sea now is likely to make preparations for the future of White Float Palace! Once Alliance Master Li passes away, and White Float Palace declines, their future days will probably be extremely difficult.”
“Alliance Master Li has been at the late Nascent Soul stage for an exceedingly long time; his cultivation and strength are unfathomable. Being ranked among the five Alliance Masters of the Heavenly Dao Alliance is no small feat. As long as Alliance Master Li lives, perhaps no one can shake the status of White Float Palace!”
The names of the five Alliance Masters of the Heavenly Dao Alliance are known to almost everyone in the East Sea Cultivation World. Even here in the Crimson Sea, although the vast majority of cultivators had never met Alliance Master Li in person, they certainly knew of White Float Palace and Alliance Master Li.
“Alliance Master Li? Why is he here?”
Ye Qin had seen Alliance Master Li once during the Island Seizing Assembly at White Float City, and his heart immediately tensed. Furthermore, the two early-to-mid stage Nascent Soul cultivators behind Alliance Master Li were precisely the two direct late-stage Nascent Soul Elders of White Float Palace.
Ye Qin glanced over and couldn't help but feel a pang of secret alarm. He, along with Zhou Yao, the Fatty from Treasure Gathering Palace, and Liao Xiaozhi from Vast Speech Palace, had jointly killed Yu Weifeng, the direct descendant of Alliance Master Yu. The minor divine artifact, the Crimson Flood Dragon Sword, used in that endeavor was currently with Bing'er. Although Alliance Master Yu and Elder Yan Ju of the Heavenly Demon Alliance’s Lofty Heaven Palace believed that Yan Hao and Li Weifeng had died fighting over treasures in the Langdu Secret Realm, Ye Qin inevitably felt guilty.
“Bing’er,” Ye Qin sent a silent mental message, “With Alliance Master Li here, the Crimson Flood Dragon Sword cannot be revealed in the East Sea or the Crimson Sea unless it’s a life-or-death moment!”
In the ancient treasury, Bing’er had once taken out the minor divine artifact Crimson Flood Dragon Sword to intimidate Sun Xing and Pang cultivators. However, Sun and Pang were treasure-hunting cultivators who had spent a hundred years in the Crimson Sea; they knew nothing of the White Float Palace artifact. They also wouldn't care about the demise of a direct descendant Golden Core cultivator from White Float Palace on the distant Northern Islands. Ye Qin wasn't worried about Sun or Pang leaking anything.
“Mmm.”
Upon hearing this, Huangfu Bing'er immediately understood and gave a barely perceptible nod. She knew the origins of the Crimson Flood Dragon Sword.
Alliance Master Li, atop the floating cloud, seemed to sense a powerful existence among the large group of Nascent Soul cultivators present. His suspicious gaze shot toward the treasure ship like lightning. A terrifyingly potent divine sense swept over the ship simultaneously.
Ye Qin instantly felt his body tense up, his very frame trembling slightly, and his flow of magic power stuttered. Ye Qin’s mind went blank; he dared not think of anything else, lest it draw any unusual sensation from Alliance Master Li. His heartbeat and physical rigidity were no different from those of an ordinary Golden Core cultivator—he appeared utterly frightened.
Ye Qin knew clearly that Li Weifeng had died in the chaotic aftermath of the attack, leaving no opportunity to unleash unique techniques or clues. Even with astonishing divine abilities, Alliance Master Yu could not possibly know that Ye Qin was the one who killed Li Weifeng. For Ye Qin, this brief moment was excruciatingly difficult.
Just then, a faint golden light enveloped the entire treasure ship, simultaneously blocking and repelling that terrifying divine sense. Ye Qin’s heart relaxed.
The only one capable of stopping Alliance Master Li’s probing was the unfathomably profound Saint Emperor. Why would the Saint Emperor allow Alliance Master Du to scan his treasure ship so brazenly with his divine sense?
“The Heavenly Dao Alliance’s Northern Alliance Master, Alliance Master Li? I haven’t heard of him! This Emperor is truly getting old.” The Saint Emperor snorted lightly, looking at Alliance Master Li on the floating cloud with a face full of deep, cold mockery.
Alliance Master Li, seeing his divine sense blocked from penetrating the treasure ship, looked over with surprise. Although he found the unusual sensation in his heart strange, his probing divine sense was instantly intercepted when the Saint Emperor acted. Alliance Master Li was slightly startled. Under the Saint Emperor’s intentional obstruction, he could only see the treasure ship shrouded in a vast expanse of golden light. Alliance Master Li immediately understood that the powerful cultivator aboard the ship was intentionally concealing himself from detection.
He frowned slightly, but with the Ghost Lord present, it was inconvenient for him to investigate the treasure ship further. Alliance Master Li paused in mid-air.
The Black Fiend transformed from the Ghost Mist Grand Array became even more frenzied.
“White Float Heavenly Thunder! Bark!” Alliance Master Li, impatient, formed a hand seal and gave a sharp cry. His long white beard fluttered without wind, and his body glowed with an imposing solemnity.
At that moment, above the Ghost Fiend, a massive thundercloud, tens of feet in diameter and churning violently, materialized from nothingness. As the Ghost Fiend continued its frenzied assault on the floating cloud, a dazzling streak of lightning, as thick as a man’s torso, shot down from the thundercloud, slicing across the sky. With a deafening boom, it struck the Ghost Fiend dead center!
The giant Ghost Fiend shrieked mournfully, and the massive congregation of vengeful spirits and ferocious specters instantly vanished into thin air upon impact.
“High-tier Thunder Magic!”
Immediately, many Golden Core cultivators shouted out in excitement. This spell, which summoned Heavenly Thunder, required a cultivator at or above the Nascent Soul stage, and it came with various conditions and limitations; not every late-stage Nascent Soul ancestor was skilled in it. Furthermore, various thunder spells typically possessed immense power, especially against formless entities like the spirit souls of ghost cultivators. Alliance Master Li of White Float Palace, who had remained at the late Nascent Soul stage for an unknown period, was quite adept in this area; his thunder magical abilities had reached a divine level, unimaginable to low-tier cultivators.
Alliance Master Li’s action—destroying the Ghost Fiend formed by the Ghost Mist Grand Array’s restriction—was more a gesture to intimidate the Desolate Spirit Ghost Lord and the other ghost cultivators. This warning simultaneously served to awe the other cultivation forces present.
This bolt of thunder from Alliance Master Li instantly silenced the area inside and outside Desolate Spirit City, and the spectral cries and howls within the sky mist also quieted considerably. The vengeful spirits and ferocious specters calmed down.
“This Lord bears no feud with the Ghost Lord and has no intention of showing disrespect.” Alliance Master Li casually waved his sleeve, dispersing the sheet of thunderclouds in the sky after annihilating the Ghost Fiend, then smiled toward the Ghost Lord. “But the Ghost Lord has resided on this island for many years and surely knows that this island is a ruin from the ancient Immortal-Demon War. And this Desolate Spirit City was jointly constructed by the ancient Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance, housing an ancient treasury filled with vast quantities of our alliance’s war reserves. As the Northern Alliance Master of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, this Lord naturally has the right to reclaim the remnants left by our alliance in ancient times. Of course… the Immortal Palaces of the Heavenly Demon Alliance present also have the right to a share. The Ghost Lord should not obstruct us, lest we draw unnecessary conflict. After we retrieve what is rightfully ours, we will naturally depart and not disturb Desolate Spirit Island.”
Alliance Master Li finished speaking with a faint smile and looked toward the Desolate Spirit Ghost Lord standing atop the Two-Headed Mandarin Duck.
The Desolate Spirit Ghost Lord frowned and temporarily suspended the aerial restriction array.
Alliance Master Li’s pronouncement was not driven purely by impartiality. It was because there were too many Nascent Soul ancestors from the East Sea and Crimson Sea factions present. This was the Crimson Sea, a chaotic territory, not the East Sea Archipelagos. Even as the Alliance Master of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, he could not suppress the impulsive nature of these Nascent Soul cultivators. Although most of the Nascent Soul cultivators here could not contend with him individually, their sheer numbers far surpassed those of White Float Palace alone. He could not claim sole ownership of the ancient treasury within Desolate Spirit City based on his words alone.
Moreover, this mysterious and unfathomable Desolate Spirit Ghost Lord, despite its lack of overt action, possessed a terrifyingly high cultivation level that made Alliance Master Li secretly uneasy. Alliance Master Li estimated that the Ghost Lord’s cultivation was perhaps one level higher than his own—the peak of the ninth-layer Nascent Soul stage, possessing an extremely formidable aura. Furthermore, the island harbored three late-stage Nascent Soul demon and ghost cultivators, and possessed the tactical advantage of the Ghost Mist Grand Array. If he did not unite the Heavenly Dao Alliance and Heavenly Demon Alliance factions outside the city, relying solely on his White Float Palace, he could never seize it all.
In truth, his coming to the Crimson Sea had a dual purpose: first, for the Heavenly Dao Alliance, and second, for the benefit of White Float Palace itself. By combining the power of the Immortal Palaces, they could force the Ghost Lord to leave the island, unharmed, to access that ancient treasury. Although the contents of the ancient treasury were nominally to be returned to the treasuries of the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance, with him overseeing the process as the principal figure, White Float Palace would surely secure a significant share. This bounty would be absolutely immense for White Float Palace.
“Alliance Master Li’s words are perfectly fair! My Upper Spring Palace belongs to the Heavenly Dao Alliance. After arduous travel to this Crimson Sea to seek the ancient treasury, we naturally qualify for a share!”
As soon as Alliance Master Li finished speaking, a short, stout old man wearing a red Daoist robe emerged from the crowd of cultivators. He rode a crimson cloud, radiating a brilliant red light around him as he ascended into the sky. Although his ascent lacked the effortless grace of Alliance Master Li, it clearly demonstrated his considerable cultivation. This red-robed elder held a whisk, wore a red crown, and his thick, elderly face was etched with an aggressive intensity, creating a rather incongruous but highly memorable appearance.
Ye Qin recognized him instantly: this was Ancestor Hong Mo, the Grand Elder of Upper Spring Palace. As soon as Ancestor Hong Mo appeared, after flattering Alliance Master Li, he continued to shout, “Alliance Master Li’s proposal is the best possible outcome. Ghost Lord, cultivating to your level is not easy. I, Ancestor Hong Mo, respect the Ghost Lord to a degree. But you are alone against everyone; it is hardly worth sacrificing your strength against us East Sea Immortal Palaces over items that do not belong to you!”
His opening immediately drew responses from the other cultivators.
“The Dark Slave Palace of the Heavenly Dao Alliance also deserves a share…”
“The Jade Success Palace of the Heavenly Demon Alliance is willing to follow Alliance Master Li’s lead!”
Hearing this, the other cultivators clamored in response. These various Immortal Palace factions sent forward their representatives—Palace Masters from the Heavenly Dao Alliance factions, and highly ranked Elders from the Heavenly Demon Alliance. Although most of these cultivators were only at the early or mid-stage Nascent Soul realm, any one of them would be insignificant before the Ghost Lord. But with the Northern Alliance Master Li of the Heavenly Dao Alliance present, and dozens of Nascent Soul ancestors gathered, they feared the Ghost Lord and its spectral cohort not at all.
“Fellow Daoists of the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance!”
Suddenly, a clear and extraordinary voice cut through the chaotic shouting, reaching every cultivator distinctly. Among the assembled Crimson Sea factions, which comprised many complex forces, a Nascent Soul cultivator finally emerged who was deemed worthy of representing them all. This person spoke those opening words.
The man wore an utterly plain azure Daoist robe; his black and white hair was loosely tied with a simple jade hairpin. His clean, pale face made him resemble a scholar from the mortal realm. His flying artifact was also quite peculiar: a simple, unadorned white-bristled ink brush that emitted not a trace of light, yet it swayed gently, carrying the blue-robed cultivator directly toward Alliance Master Li’s vicinity. He was a genuine late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, holding firm at the seventh stage.
Once the blue-robed cultivator stabilized his flight, he elegantly bowed toward Alliance Master Li. “This humble Daoist, Dongyang the Unfettered, greets Alliance Master Li. I am but an unworthy representative chosen by the cultivators of the Crimson Sea, and I must speak for the cultivators of our Sea.”
“Whether this Desolate Spirit City and the treasury within it were left by the ancient Heavenly Dao Alliance and Heavenly Demon Alliance, we shall not discuss for now. But since being abandoned after the ancient Immortal-Demon War, it has lain dormant in the Crimson Sea for ten thousand years. Any faction from the East Sea Cultivation World coming here to claim this treasury has long since forfeited any claim—it has become ownerless property! If it is ownerless, then possession is nine-tenths of the law. We Crimson Sea cultivators are not fools to be trifled with; we will certainly not leave empty-handed!”
Although Dongyang the Unfettered spoke calmly, his words were decisive. He finally cast a cold glance at the cultivators from the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance. “If this ancient treasury is not divided fairly according to strength, we Crimson Sea cultivators, though less powerful than the East Sea’s Heavenly Dao Alliance and Heavenly Demon Alliance, are not incapable. In that case, we will uphold justice and assist the Ghost Lord in defending this Desolate Spirit City. I am certain the Ghost Lord will not be stingy in giving us a portion of the loot as compensation!”
“Pah! Utterly shameless! Are you still cultivators of the East Sea Cultivation World?”
“Heh heh, we’ve long heard how contemptible the Crimson Sea cultivators are; seeing you today confirms it…”
“To seek companionship with a tiger, to act as its accomplice—do you feel no shame?”
Dongyang the Unfettered’s declaration caused an uproar among the Heavenly Dao Alliance and Heavenly Demon Alliance cultivators. Even the ghost cultivators within Desolate Spirit City were surprised. However, the majority of the independent cultivators, the forces of the Crimson Sea Merchant Guild, and the treasure-hunting cultivators did not seem perturbed; they merely sneered coldly, appearing completely unafraid.
Although the Crimson Sea cultivators were fragmented and diverse in origin, those present numbered nearly twenty late-stage Nascent Soul ancestors combined, and none of them belonged to the Heavenly Dao Alliance or Heavenly Demon Alliance. They would not stand by and watch the treasury fall into other hands. If they allied with the Ghost Lord, utilizing the geographical advantage, they would be sufficient to defend Desolate Spirit City successfully. While the Heavenly Dao Alliance and Heavenly Demon Alliance were powerful, they were not the undisputed authority in this chaotic Crimson Sea.
Most of these Crimson Sea cultivators cared only for wealth and were ruthless in their methods. Even treasure hunters would risk their lives for an object; what mattered was the reputation gained from assisting the ghost cultivators? Furthermore, most of these cultivators traveled alone or in small groups, often relocating their residences at will. The Crimson Sea was vast, offering countless places to retreat to. Afterward, if the Heavenly Dao Alliance and Heavenly Demon Alliance sought retribution, they would struggle to find them.
Alliance Master Li, leading the Heavenly Dao Alliance faction, understood these implications, and his expression instantly turned grim.
“Has everyone finished speaking!?”
The Ghost Lord’s face, shrouded in black mist, gave no hint of its expression, but its detached tone contained an undercurrent of extreme fury.
"You treat my Barren Spirit Ghost Island as if it were unoccupied territory, coming and going as you please? If you truly sought the ancient artifacts of the Heavenly Dao Alliance or the Demonic Heaven Alliance, why didn't you negotiate outside the island? Instead, you launch a massive incursion, bringing your armies to the very gates of the fortress.
Do you truly rely on sheer numbers to force this Ghost Master to yield? You haven't even glimpsed the whereabouts of the Ancient Treasure Vault, yet you begin carving it up amongst yourselves as if you owned the place. Even you scattered cultivators of the Blood Sea are trying to leverage this situation for a better bargain." The Ghost Master sneered.
In the sky, the ghostly mist surged, churning violently. By the time he finished speaking, the ghost mist spanning a thousand li had already descended low. (To be continued)